Flood fairs are being held across the south for people to learn how to protect their homes. Authorities warn we face flooding this winter due to a record breaking wet summer.
A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency for the River Thames and tributaries from Buscot Wick down to Kings Lock in Oxfordshire. It will particularly affect Buscot, Kelmscott, Radcot, Chimney, Northmoor, Stanton Harcourt, Bablock Hythe and caravan park, Eynsham, Swinford and Yarnton.
The Environment Agency has issued a new flood warning for the Upper Frome and tributaries. This warning affects areas in:
Firefighters fought to save homes and businesses as flooding hit the region. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service received 80 calls yesterday relating to flooding and attended nearly 30 incidents, pumping water from homes and businesses, and assisting with redirecting floodwater away from properties.
The Environment Agency have released the following advice about floodwater:
Large parts of the south remain on flood alert after torrential rain over the weekend. Heavy rain caused flash flooding in some places, with Dorset and Wiltshire among the worst affected. Bournemouth received the most rainfall in the UK, with 30mm falling in just 24 hours from 5pm on Saturday.
The Dorset town usually receives 100mm of rain on average for the whole of November. Julian Mayes, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "It's not exceptional rainfall, but the last two weeks have been fairly wet and it's falling onto saturated ground which means the effect is more immediate."
It's been such a wet summer that ground water and rivers are at the same levels now as they should be in January. Flood fairs are being held across the south to help people protect their homes. One was held in Dorset today which saw flash floods back in the summer. Sion Donovan reports.