Flood barriers erected as river levels rise after heavy rains

Protective barriers have been erected after heavy rainfall and high river levels in parts of the country.

There were 29 flood warnings and 37 flood alerts in force on Sunday across the Midlands, northern England and parts of Wales, with two alerts in the Norwich area.

The Environment Agency said crews were installing temporary defences in Shrewsbury and Bewdley, going up to Ironbridge and Wribbenhall to protect from the rising River Severn in the Midlands.

In a statement, the agency said: “We have seen localised flooding in the Calder Valley, the Greater Manchester area, York and along the River Severn.

“River levels in some areas will continue to rise over the next few days in response to recent rainfall, however the outlook is for increasingly settled and dry conditions which will allow river levels to fall quickly in all but the slowest responding rivers.

“We have officers out on the ground checking defences, clearing drainage channels and supporting affected communities.”

A flooded football pitch in Mytholmroyd
A flooded football pitch in Mytholmroyd

Testing conditions brought disruption to parts of the UK over the weekend, with Capel Curig in Caernarfonshire, Wales, one of the worst-hit areas.

It saw some 136.6mm of rain in just 24 hours – which forecasters say is the equivalent of a month’s worth.

Flooding across parts of the rail network forced Northern to part-suspend services on several of its routes in Yorkshire and the North West on Saturday.

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