Flood warnings remain in place as cold weather alert issued

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There are still around 250 warnings for flood in England and Wales due to persistent bad weather that is causing difficulties for transportation in many areas of the country.

Although the Met Office anticipates that the rainy climate has ended, the levels of water are still elevated, and lower temperatures are expected to come over the next few days. Furthermore, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a yellow cold weather warning.

On Saturday, the Environment Agency had set up around 244 warnings for possible flood situations throughout England, which was a decrease from over 300 that were issued on the prior day. Additionally, Natural Resources Wales had their own warnings active for the River Wye in Monmouth and the River Ritec in Tenby.

An additional 262 flood alerts were active in England, indicating that flooding could occur, along with nine such alerts in Wales.

Information provided by the Environment Agency indicated that nearly every river in England has reached extremely high levels, with a few even hitting historic marks.

There was a lot of rain in Cambridgeshire which caused flooding on the railway line. As a result, buses were used instead of trains but couldn't get to St Neots and Huntingdon stations for a while during the night.

According to the company, Network Rail is currently fixing damage caused by a landslip near Arlesey in Bedfordshire that occurred on Thursday. In addition to this, Network Rail is also carrying out pre-planned engineering works. The company predicts that the affected railway lines will be back in operation by the beginning of Monday. Until then, there will be a replacement bus service available.

The Great Western Railway announced that it experienced major problems with its transportation services due to flooding that occurred in the region close to Chipping Sodbury. As a result, the line which connects Swindon and Bristol Parkway will remain out of service for the entire weekend.

It is probable that the route from Theale to Taunton will remain inaccessible on Saturday, with alternative paths chosen for transportation.

The South Western Railway had many issues on Friday, including a landslip in Somerset's Crewkerne area. However, the rail company declared that there were no issues on Saturday and all services were running smoothly.

Because of the flooding in and around Gloucester, it has become necessary to close roads. The police in Gloucestershire informed the public that a taxi driver was caught breaking traffic laws on Friday night. Unfortunately, he ended up getting stuck when he recklessly attempted to drive through floodwater. As a result, he needed rescuing.

The organization known as the Environment Agency declared that the River Severn would likely have reached its highest point at Gloucester Docks, as well as in Worcester's upstream area, on Friday evening.

National Highways reported that a slip road leading to the A419, located close to Cirencester, had to be shut down on Saturday morning due to flooding.

The rescue team in Sheffield received an emergency call to save a person who had fallen into the overflowing River Don.

A statement from the Environment Agency disclosed that there would be severe flooding in several regions in the Midlands bordering River Trent as well as in Gloucester on Saturday.

According to the report, the River Avon in some parts of the South West will also face consequences due to the complete saturation of the ground. It is expected that most parts of England will experience the repercussions over the next five days.

According to Caroline Douglass, who is in charge of overseeing flood management, the Trent river has risen to levels that haven't been seen in 24 years. The local government of Nottinghamshire has also taken action by declaring a major incident as a result of the increasing water levels.

On Saturday, the weather experts at the Met Office anticipated a mostly arid day for the majority of regions. They expected some spots of sunshine to break through, although there could be a smidge of rain near the shore. People should also prepare themselves for chilly temperatures and the possibility of frost and fog forming in the evening.

According to reports, the temperature is expected to decrease significantly in certain regions of rural south-west England on Saturday night. It forecasted that the temperature will plummet to as low as minus 4C. Additionally, it stated that the temperature is likely to experience a more drastic drop, reaching approximately minus 6C in rural sections along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire on Sunday night.

The weather this Sunday is expected to be mostly dry, but there could be a few scattered showers in the southeast part of England earlier in the day. Sadly, it will be chilly for the majority of the upcoming week.

The UKHSA (United Kingdom Health Security Agency) has released a warning for cold weather that may affect the elderly and vulnerable starting at 9am on Saturday until noon on January 12. The temperature is expected to be slightly colder than normal in most parts of the UK, especially at night. Ice may be a concern in areas with wet ground.

The person in charge of predicting weather at the Met Office, Jason Kelly, explained that the weather patterns coming up will be dominated by strong air pressure, which should result in a lot of calm and stable weather.

We can anticipate that the weather will improve with less rain and clearer skies. But if it does rain, it could turn into snow or sleet.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, made a statement saying that people should feel confident about the efforts being made to deal with floods. However, the Labour party claimed that the Government was not paying enough attention to flood warnings and accused them of being unprepared. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, declared that he will strive to improve flood defences to ensure that they are capable of addressing extreme weather conditions. He emphasized that people should not have to face the consequences of heavy rainfall disrupting their lives. This message was written on his social media account.

Helen Morgan, who is the spokesperson for housing and communities in the Liberal Democratic Party, urged Mr. Sunak to take a trip to places that are affected by floods. Her objective was for the Prime Minister to personally witness the damage caused by the floods.