Sunday, November 15, 2009

Overstromingen blijven toenemen in Wales..( bbc)


Gales sweep in as floods strike

Game off: a flooded football pitch at Abergwili, Carmarthenshire
More heavy rain and gale force winds have affected parts of Wales after properties and roads were flooded.

West Wales was worst hit on Friday and Saturday, with the fire service receiving about 140 flood-related calls, mainly in Pembrokeshire.

Several people were rescued from vehicles, including a man whose caravan floated away in Gwynedd, and a fire engine left the road in Pembrokeshire.

Gusts reached about 70mph in some coastal areas, before the rain stopped.

Wales, southern and eastern England were bearing the brunt of the storm.

Six flood warnings and 34 flood watches were in place in Wales, with heavy rain spreading eastwards.

Stena Line cancelled its 1025 GMT sailing from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire because of the weather, with all passengers moved to conventional sailings at 1350GMT with Stena Line or with Irish Ferries at 1410 GMT.


The severe weather caused a caravan to float away and overturn
Fire crews pumped out a kitchen and other service buildings at Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, overnight.

At Rosemarket, Pembrokeshire, a fire engine was reported to have gone into a ditch because of the flooding, but no-one was injured.

Also at Rosemarket, a woman was rescued from a car in floodwater by a fire officer with a boat.

Unsafe structures

There were also vehicle rescues in Brecon, Gumfreston, Tenby, Lamphey, Manorbier, Jeffreyston andStackpole, and 12 people were taken off a coach which left the road in floods on the Canaston Bridge to Cross Hands Road.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service also received calls to deal with three unsafe structures, two in Pontardulais and one in the Maritime Quarter, Swansea.

An advertising board was made safe at Pontardulais, where a chimney stack also collapsed.


West Wales was worst hit, like this farmland in Carmarthenshire
Six properties were flooded at Clarbeston Road. Two of these were also flooded recently.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said a man towing his caravan at Pen-y-pass was rescued unharmed after the road flooded.

He climbed inside, but the water rose and it began floating away.

The Met Office said that on Saturday night it would be dry and clear at first, but with showers spreading north east, and remaining breezy.

On Sunday, heavy thundery showers are forecast through the morning, but sunny spells will develop through the afternoon.

Further updates are available on the BBC Weather website.