Storms which have been battering Britain could have one more sting in the tail

Water, water everywhere: Parts of the road network in Worcestershire lie completely surrounded by floods. Forecasters warn of more heavy rain

Forecasters are warning that the succession of storms bringing misery to thousands of people may have one more sting in the tail.


Rain is expected to ease off over the next couple of days but the West Country was due to receive another 40mm tonight.

Met Office forecaster Helen Robert, said: ‘We’re looking at less stormy conditions than of late but it will be unsettled with outbreaks of rain.

Fuel crash: A lorry is blown into a petrol station in Rutland

‘It will be heaviest towards the west and we still have a yellow warning for rain in the south west of England.’

The Environment Agency still has 16 severe flood warnings in place as water levels continued to rise in Somerset and along the Thames.
Tonight, emergency workers were attempting to stop the River Test in Hampshire breaking its banks.

The King’s Royal Hussars wade through floods in Chertsey

Meanwhile, defence secretary Philip Hammond has admitted the military could have been brought in earlier to help deal with the winter storms.
More than 3,000 troops have been deployed to help and 5,000 more were available if needed, he said.

‘We’re dealing with an extraordinary set of weather events. It’s taken some time to mobilise the resources that are necessary to respond,’ Mr Hammond told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.