Flood warnings from Shrewsbury to Bewdley as River Severn rises again

Flood warnings were issued throughout the River Severn on Monday morning, including for Bewdley and Stourport, and regular flooding spots in Stafford were again covered in water.

In Bewdley, Stourport Road was closed behind flood barriers with the river expected to rise to 5.25m tomorrow night, almost at the highest recorded level of 5.56m in 2000.

The river level at midday today was 4.23m - just over the level where property flooding may be possible.

Further upstream, Shrewsbury was again badly flooded as the Severn burst its banks and Ironbridge was bracing for the peak of the river to arrive.

Dave Throup, Environment Agency manager, said the river in Bewdley was "absolutely flying up" and that a peak higher than last week's 5.24m is now expected on Wednesday.

The typical range in Bewdley is between 0.21m and 3.30m.

Over in Stourport flooding may affect homes and roads in and around Sandy Lane, Stourport Marina and Severnside including Broaches Meadow, as the river levels rise.

And river levels may remain high for the rest of the week, a Government warning said.

Yesterday police warned drivers to avoid Trescott Ford, between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth, after a black Audi became the latest car to get stuck there.

In Stafford, regular flooding spot Sandon Road was under water on Monday morning and Sainsbury's car park was also covered.

Doxey Long Stay and Short Stay car parks in the town were both also closed due to flooding.

An Environment Agency spokesman said ongoing flooding was possible for parts of the West Midlands, along the Severn and Wye.

Flood warnings were issued for the River Severn all the way from Welshpool in Mid Wales down to Gloucester on Monday.

Two of these designated as severe - meaning there is imminent danger to life - were put in place for Shrewsbury and Ironbridge in Shropshire, with Shrewsbury's town centre flooded for the second time in seven days.

As heavy rain poured across the region throughout the morning, the Severn was expected to peak in Shrewsbury and Ironbridge on Tuesday before reaching Bridgnorth and Bewdley on Wednesday.

The EA said in a statement that heavy rainfalls had caused the Severn’s levels to rise and flooding of property was expected to continue.

The EA had issued a total of 92 flood warnings and 182 flood alerts in England as of Monday morning.

While the extreme weather should settle down over Tuesday and Wednesday – accompanied by a notable dip in temperatures – the Met Office said further heavy rain is expected on Friday.

The bleak outlook follows more than a fortnight of downpours and flooding that started with Storm Ciara, continued with Storm Dennis and kept going with the weekend’s storms, which have not been named by the Met Office.

Boris Johnson's absence defended

Boris Johnson’s continued absence from flooded areas has been defended by Downing Street, with officials insisting it was important not to “distract” from the ongoing effort to deal with the problem.

The Prime Minister had been receiving “regular updates” about the situation as he spent time at the grace-and-favour Chevening mansion last week.

Number 10 said Environment Secretary George Eustice was “rightly” leading the Government’s response to the flooding which has hit parts of the UK.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Rhydyfelin, South Wales, last week and challenged the Prime Minister to visit flood-hit communities.

Mr Johnson’s decision to stay away from flooded towns and villages is in marked contrast to his response during the general election campaign, when he carried out visits and called an emergency Cobra meeting.