Town flooded with warning of yet more downpours

A TOWN was under water yesterday following torrential rain – as warnings were issued of more downpours to come.

There were 25 flood alerts in place last night across England, mainly for the South and South West and along the Severn.

Heavy rain sparked flash flooding in Cornwall, leaving parts of the A30 impassable.

The worst affected town was Hayle, where 50 properties and the high street were affected.

Resident Nigel Powell, 72, said yesterday: ‘Outside our door it was probably about a foot deep. I tried to go up to my allotment earlier but I couldn’t get through town. They’re still pumping out the shops and cleaning them down.’ Last night, Cornwall Council said: ‘Devon and Cornwall Police declared a major incident and we are co-ordinating a multiagency response to reduce water levels in the area.’

Flooding also caused extensive disruption last night to trains through the New Forest, affecting services from Waterloo to Southampton, Bournemouth, Dorchester and Weymouth. Floods in Hedge End, near Southampton, blocked rail lines and a landslip at Liss, Hampshire, blocked the line to Portsmouth.

There was significant traffic disruption in Dorset due to flooded roads and commuters in Somerset also reported difficulties in getting home.

The flooding occurred on day two of the Met Office’s five-day weather warning. There were also warnings near Tewkesbury, Worcester and Southampton.

‘Outside it was a foot deep’