Weather dampens Christmas spirit as more rain forecasted

Rain is set to return to the south of the UK where the ground is already saturated

16:31 24 December 2012

More rain is expected to hit the South-West of England in areas where the ground has already had to endure recent flooding. This comes as weather experts have predicted heavy rain for parts of England, Wales, and Scotland.

 

There are, at time of press, 140 flood warnings in place issued by the Environment Agency. As well, there are around 260 flood alerts for England and Wales as the South-West prepares for another downpour of rain.

 

In the north, Scotland has 23 flood warnings. This is after 100 properties were evacuated on Sunday close to Aberdeen because of the weather. Sunday was a day when many people across the UK were expected to be making their way to the shops for some last minute Christmas shopping.

 

Richard Benyon, the Flood Minister, has said: “It's terrible to have your home or business flooded at any time of year, but for the families affected it's especially distressing for it to happen during the Christmas season.”

 

People were being urged to check the weather and also news reports.

 

Travellers making their way home for Christmas may also face problems following rail disruptions. This has affected passengers in the South-West of England, and there were warnings that people should avoid travelling west of Taunton.

 

The Director at Network Rail, Robin Gisby, said: “We apologise to passengers who have had their journeys disrupted at this busy time and we are doing all we can to keep things moving. However, safety is our priority.”