Britain remained on high alert after the second major storm of the season hit the country over the weekend, killing at least two people and disrupting road and rail services.
Hundreds of homes in England and Wales battled flooding on Monday and several train operators canceled services after Storm Bert lashed Britain with heavy rain and gusts of up to 80mph over the weekend. Some areas received up to 130 millimeters (5.1 in) of rain, causing some rivers to burst their banks and turn roads into waterways.
A man in his 80s died after his car went into water in a ford in Lancashire, north-west England, on Saturday, and the body, believed to be that of a missing dog walker, was found the same day near the River Avon Conwy in North Wales .
“Further flooding is unfortunately likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower-flowing rivers such as the Severn and Ouse,” Environment Secretary Steve Reid told the House of Commons. “The Environment Agency believes that any impact should be less severe than we have seen in recent days.”
More than 130 flood warnings remained in place across England, Wales and Scotland late on Monday.
A severe flood warning, meaning a risk to life, was issued on the River Nene in Northampton as water levels continued to rise. Hoping to escape, people with bags filled with essentials waded through deep water on Monday.
Stan Brown, 67, who has lived in the region for 25 years, said he had no choice but to go.
“I have a place to go, but I’m one of the few,” he said. “Other people spent their savings to buy a house there, and now they have nowhere else to go.”
Among the worst-hit areas were parts of Wales, where residents of Pontypridd tried to protect their homes by bucketing water over the flood wall and back into the River Taff. Two severe flood warnings issued for the River Monau in south-east Wales have been downgraded to warnings.
Because of climate change and warming oceans, storms can pick up more energy, increasing wind speeds, while a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.
Reid said the government plans to spend 2.4 billion pounds ($3 billion) over the next two years to strengthen flood defenses across the country.
“Climate change will inevitably lead to more severe weather like what we saw this weekend,” he said.
