NEW FLOODS MISERY AS DOWNPOURS HIT WALES
HEAVY rain and high winds wreaked havoc on Wales yesterday, with flooding and road closures across the country. The Met Office had issued a double weather warning for yesterday, predicting downpours and strong gales.
The M48 Severn bridge was closed in both directions to high-sided vehicles and the A4042 in Monmouthshire was temporarily closed because of flooding.
Swansea suffered several problems, as heavy flooding forced the closure of the main access route to Morriston Hospital, along the M4 junction 46, Pant Lasau Road.
Elsewhere in the city, vehicles became stuck due to flooding between the B4291 Ynys-Penllwch Road and Tesco petrol station in Pontardawe. Some vehicles had to be abandoned due to the problem on the A4067.
Elsewhere, fallen trees were a problem for trains – one blocked lines between Rhoose Cardiff International Airport and Llantwit Major. It meant they were unable to run between Rhoose Cardiff International Airport and Bridgend, forcing commuters to use replacement buses.
And, due to a number of unsafe trees on the line between Clarbeston Road and Fishguard Harbour, Network Rail closed the line between the stations.
Buses will replace trains between Carmarthen and Fishguard Harbour until at least the end of tomorrow.
The weather also put a dampener on Bonfire Night celebrations for many, as the Hi-Tide in Porthcawl, Bryntirion and Laleston Community Centre and St Paul’s Church in Sketty were all forced to postpone planned displays last night.
Flood alerts were put in place concerning the River Rhyd Hir in North Wales, River Ritec in Tenby and in the vicinity of Nant Bran in Heol-Las and Heol-Las Farm in Birchgrove, Swansea, as river levels in the Nant y Fendrod rose.
Peter Fry, who lives across the road from the Nant Bran Brook in Birchgrove, was woken by firefighters telling him to take care as floodwaters cascaded across the road.
Mr Fry said: “I was woken by a fireman knocking on the door telling me to be careful when I come out.
“I didn’t see the Nant Bran Brook flood, but my wife saw it at about five o’clock and saw the men working here. The council keep this drain clear all the time, but obviously this time it just overflowed everything. I have never seen so much mud before.”
Johanna Davison lives at Vicarage Road in Morriston, Swansea. Her house backs onto Morriston Park.
At 6am yesterday morning, she described how she heard her gate being moved by the force of a foot of water surging from the park into her garden, before hitting her back door. It then made its way into her utility room and kitchen.
Mid and West Wales Fire Service were at her home for two hours this morning to pump the water out of her property.
Ms Davison described how the flooding had been caused by the pond in the park filling up with leaves and overflowing, and added how a culvert for the water to drain away was also full of leaves. There had been a previous incident on September 28 where she had to deal with the same thing.
She said: “Luckily we were due to have new flooring after the last time today, so we’d managed to move the furniture, but I’m very worried about this situation.
“We’ve been left with all mud and silt inside our house now. I’m petrified it’s going to happen again.”
Elsewhere, vehicles were abandoned in floodwaters at Parc Bryn Heulog, Swansea.