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Travellers stranded after floods Floods leave thousands stranded
(about 1 hour later)
Hundreds of travellers were stranded overnight after heavy rain and flash floods lashed England and Wales. Emergency services are trying to reach people still marooned by severe floods which have wreaked chaos in many areas.
Families were forced to spend the night on the M5 while about 20 special needs children remain trapped in the Vale of Evesham Special School.Families were forced to spend the night on the M5 while about 20 special needs children remain trapped in the Vale of Evesham Special School.
RAF helicopters rescued 60 people in Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire.RAF helicopters rescued 60 people in Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire.
Thousands of people with flooded homes spent the night in emergency centres. More rain is expected for Wales, central and northern England.Thousands of people with flooded homes spent the night in emergency centres. More rain is expected for Wales, central and northern England.
Ambulance strandedAmbulance stranded
The travel situation is getting back to normal after Friday's chaos but this is one of the busiest weekends of the year and congestion is reported at some of the UK airports. Congestion is reported at some of the UK airports on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
TRAVEL CHAOS Heathrow airport - delays possible, check with operator before travellingM5 - open in both directions, traffic moving slowlyCentral/Virgin Trains - many services from Birmingham New St suspendedFirst Great Western - some services suspended from Oxford, Reading, Swindon and GloucesterWest Midlands/Warks - parts of A41, A452, A428, A423 closed Latest from BBC Travel
Many rail services have been cancelled, with no replacement bus service because roads have been closed.Many rail services have been cancelled, with no replacement bus service because roads have been closed.
Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire are among the worst hit counties.
The Environment Agency has issued 16 severe flood warnings, stretching from Lincolnshire to the Midlands and the Welsh borders. Parts of the Rivers Severn, Avon, Arrow, Dene, Tame, Great Ouse and Teme are affected.The Environment Agency has issued 16 severe flood warnings, stretching from Lincolnshire to the Midlands and the Welsh borders. Parts of the Rivers Severn, Avon, Arrow, Dene, Tame, Great Ouse and Teme are affected.
YOUR PICTURES class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6909198.stm">Your images of flooding from around the country The main developments include:
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The main developments include:
  • Thousands of motorists were stranded overnight on the M5. A pregnant woman was rescued after the ambulance she was travelling in became stranded in the floodwater
  • RAF helicopters airlifted to safety around 60 residents in Sedgeberrow, Worcs, who were stranded when the River Isbourne burst its banks
  • Around 2,000 people have been taken to emergency centres in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden and Moreton in Marsh
  • At Heathrow 141 flights were cancelled on Friday. On Saturday the airport was struggling to deal with the backlog
  • A person is reported missing in a river in Evesham, which emergency services described as "an island"
    • 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 experiences
  • In Oxfordshire, passengers were taken off trains in Oxford and Banbury and taken to a school which was turned into a rest centre
  • The Wakestock Music Festival in north Wales has been cancelled because of safety concerns
  • In Birmingham 200 people were evacuated from Witton and Tame Roads in the Aston district when the River Tame overflowed at about midnight
  • The West Midlands Ambulance Service has asked people only to contact it if in an emergency
  • Graham Bowskill of the Highways Agency rejected the notion that the agency had failed to prepare for the forecast weather
  • Police in the West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire advised people not to travel unless their journey was necessary
  • Twenty two schoolchildren and eight members of staff from Blackwood school in Newport, Gwent spent the night in Ludlow's leisure centre overnight when they were stranded by the floods
  • Twenty two schoolchildren and eight members of staff from Blackwood school in Newport, Gwent spent the night in Ludlow's leisure centre overnight when they were stranded by the floods
  • Head of the Environment Agency, Baroness Young, said there was a risk of more flooding in many areas, even where the rain had stopped
  • Head of the Environment Agency, Baroness Young, said there was a risk of more flooding in many areas, even where the rain had stopped
  • In Oxfordshire, passengers were taken off trains in Oxford and Banbury and taken to a school which was turned into a rest centre
  • The Wakestock Music Festival in north Wales has been cancelled because of safety concerns
  • In Birmingham 200 people were evacuated from Witton and Tame Roads in the Aston district when the River Tame overflowed at about midnight
  • Lincolnshire County Council says the flooding is worse on Saturday than on Friday, with widespread road flooding across the county, including Louth and Horncastle
  • Police in the West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire advised people not to travel unless their journey was necessary.
    • Sleeping bagsSleeping bags
    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. Around 2,000 people have been taken to emergency centres in Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Chipping Campden and Moreton in Marsh.
    YOUR PICTURES Your images of flooding from around the country And 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.
    "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."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''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.
    The sudden downpour caught many people out 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 class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6893&edition=1&ttl=20070720094446">Send us your experiences
    "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.
    A bus with 30 holidaymakers aged between 65 and 88 spent the night on the M5, after leaving Scarborough for South Wales at 0930 BST on Friday.A bus with 30 holidaymakers aged between 65 and 88 spent the night on the M5, after leaving Scarborough for South Wales at 0930 BST on Friday.
    After spending the night in his car on the M5, Simon Clarke said there was no anger among motorists but it was "not nice" because there were no facilities.After spending the night in his car on the M5, Simon Clarke said there was no anger among motorists but it was "not nice" because there were no facilities.
    BBC broadcast meteorologist Matt Taylor said there was a slim risk of torrential rain in the south and south east of England and that overall rain would remain heavy in the Midlands and north of England.BBC broadcast meteorologist Matt Taylor said there was a slim risk of torrential rain in the south and south east of England and that overall rain would remain heavy in the Midlands and north of England.
    He also warned that further flooding could occur as Friday's heavy rain continued to filter through the river system.He also warned that further flooding could occur as Friday's heavy rain continued to filter through the river system.