After the snow, floods hit the UK

A woman climbs out of her flooded vehicle near Chelmsford, Essex

Britain is continuing to suffer from extreme weather with snow still blighting many regions. However it was heavy rain and floods that was wreaking havoc in the east of the country. In Essex the fire brigade fielded more than 300 calls from the public, six times the usual number of emergency calls. It was all due to the high tides and more than 30 mm of rain which fell in less than 24 hours. It resulted in more than 75 flood warning beings being put in place by the environment agency.

Flood signs failed to dissuade motorists from risking their lives and vehicles as they drove into flooded streets. Those ignoring warnings found themselves stuck in water up to 1.5 metres deep [5 feet] [BBC]. One woman drove into deep water and was later taken to hospital suffering from mild hypothermia and shock. In Braintree paramedics battled through flooded roads to reach a pregnant woman who later gave birth at her home [BBC].

Floods also affected parts of London and the West Country. In Water Lane in Watford there was flooding surrounding a hotel. And there were isolated reports of flooding in Dorchester in Dorset. Meanwhile snow was still acusing problems in the north of the country and to the far west. In South Wales snow forced the closure of schools and many cars became trapped in snow bound roads. Gloucestershire and Cambridgeshire were also affected by continuing snowy conditions [BBC / Sky News].

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