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Travellers stranded after floods Travellers stranded after floods
(about 3 hours later)
Scores of travellers were stranded overnight after heavy rain and flash floods lashed parts of England and Wales on Friday. Hundreds of travellers were stranded overnight after Friday's heavy rain and flash floods lashed England and Wales.
E-mails to the BBC News website told of families forced to spend the night on the M5 and roads in the Worcester area.E-mails to the BBC News website told of families forced to spend the night on the M5 and roads in the Worcester area.
In Oxford, 150 sleeping bags were ordered as rail passengers were put up in a school.In Oxford, 150 sleeping bags were ordered as rail passengers were put up in a school.
Meanwhile, more wet weather is expected for Wales, central and northern England over the weekend. Thousands of people with flooded homes spent the night in emergency centres. More rain is expected for Wales, central and northern England.
The Environment Agency has issued 14 severe flood warnings, for the Anglia and Midlands areas. Many rail services have been cancelled, with no replacement bus service because roads have been closed. Police in the West Midlands advised people not to travel unless their journey was necessary.
In Birmingham 200 people were evacuated from Witton and Tame Roads in the Aston district when the River Tame overflowed at about midnight. In spite of the problems, Graham Bowskill of the Highways Agency rejected the notion that the agency had failed to prepare for the forecast weather.
"We can't prevent extreme weather conditions. What we can do is work tirelessly to try and put the road back in order and get the traffic moving again and that has been our priority over the night," said Mr Bowskill.
Sleeping bags
The Environment Agency has issued 16 severe flood warnings, for the Anglia and Midlands areas. Parts of the Rivers Severn, Avon, Arrow, Dene, Tame, Great Ouse and Teme are affected.
There are currently around 2,000 people at emergency centres in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden and Moreton in Marsh, police said.
And in Birmingham 200 people were evacuated from Witton and Tame Roads in the Aston district when the River Tame overflowed at about midnight.
The River Cole had flooded earlier in the Sparkhill area, forcing about 60 people to leave their homes.The River Cole had flooded earlier in the Sparkhill area, forcing about 60 people to leave their homes.
John Kelly, Oxfordshire's county emergency planner, said passengers had been taken off trains in Oxford and Banbury and brought to Cherwell School in north Oxford, which had been turned into a rest centre.John Kelly, Oxfordshire's county emergency planner, said passengers had been taken off trains in Oxford and Banbury and brought to Cherwell School in north Oxford, which had been turned into a rest centre.
YOUR PICTURES Your images of flooding from around the countryYOUR PICTURES Your images of flooding from around the country
"We've ordered 150 sleeping bags from the Army... and some of my staff have gone down to the local Tesco's to get things like towels, toothpaste and soap. "We've ordered 150 sleeping bags from the Army... and some of my staff have gone down to the local Tesco to get things like towels, toothpaste and soap.
"This is part of our plan, this is a thing we plan for, and we make arrangements for, but things always go wrong."This is part of our plan, this is a thing we plan for, and we make arrangements for, but things always go wrong.
"This is not the first choice of school, because the one we were going to had actually been flooded itself.""This is not the first choice of school, because the one we were going to had actually been flooded itself."
'Island town'
One woman contacted the BBC to express her concerns over her family, who she said had been trapped on the M5 for several hours.One woman contacted the BBC to express her concerns over her family, who she said had been trapped on the M5 for several hours.
"My family including my elderly grandparents who are diabetic and my mother who also suffers from the condition have been stranded on the M5 for nine hours now with hardly any food or water," she said on Friday evening."My family including my elderly grandparents who are diabetic and my mother who also suffers from the condition have been stranded on the M5 for nine hours now with hardly any food or water," she said on Friday evening.
"I am really fearing for their health but there seems to be nothing anyone can do. There doesn't seem to be anyone helping them or giving advice on the motorway.""I am really fearing for their health but there seems to be nothing anyone can do. There doesn't seem to be anyone helping them or giving advice on the motorway."
HAVE YOUR SAY No wonder there's so much flooding. The roadside drains are simply not cleaned out until people actually complain to their councils. Craig, Bradford Send us your experiencesHAVE YOUR SAY No wonder there's so much flooding. The roadside drains are simply not cleaned out until people actually complain to their councils. Craig, Bradford Send us your experiences
There are also reports that there is a person missing in a river in Evesham.There are also reports that there is a person missing in a river in Evesham.
Alex Mackie from the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service told the BBC that the town had been turned into "an island".Alex Mackie from the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service told the BBC that the town had been turned into "an island".
He said: "Our reports are that there are quite a lot of people trapped in houses, let alone motor cars in that area.He said: "Our reports are that there are quite a lot of people trapped in houses, let alone motor cars in that area.
"The River Avon itself has burst its banks and its tributary rivers in the Vale of Evesham are all flooded as well.""The River Avon itself has burst its banks and its tributary rivers in the Vale of Evesham are all flooded as well."
In the village of Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire, 62 people had to be rescued from their homes after the River Isbourne burst its banks - some of them were plucked from their homes by RAF helicopter.In the village of Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire, 62 people had to be rescued from their homes after the River Isbourne burst its banks - some of them were plucked from their homes by RAF helicopter.
The sudden downpour caught many people outThe sudden downpour caught many people out
In Gloucestershire, the council has set up emergency rest centres to shelter people forced out of their homes by flooding after the "worst conditions the county has seen in years".
BBC broadcast meteorologist Daniel Corbett said: "The weather across the UK has been far from typical this summer."BBC broadcast meteorologist Daniel Corbett said: "The weather across the UK has been far from typical this summer."
He said a broad band of low pressure had been sitting across the UK, pushing the jet stream - a ribbon of fast moving air in the upper atmosphere - further south than usual, keeping high pressure and settled weather away from the UK.He said a broad band of low pressure had been sitting across the UK, pushing the jet stream - a ribbon of fast moving air in the upper atmosphere - further south than usual, keeping high pressure and settled weather away from the UK.
"In a normal summer the jet stream is to the north of the UK. This allows the Azores high to build across the UK and bring settled and more typical summer weather for the UK," said Mr Corbett."In a normal summer the jet stream is to the north of the UK. This allows the Azores high to build across the UK and bring settled and more typical summer weather for the UK," said Mr Corbett.