Major incident declared as Storm Bert causes 'devastating' floods with homes and cars left underwater

24 November 2024, 13:22 | Updated: 24 November 2024, 14:42

A major incident has been declared as Storm Bert continues to batter Britain, with "devastating" floods sparking mass evacuations.

Homeowners were pictured bailing out of flooded properties with buckets and bins after the River Taff burst its banks this morning.

Emergency services were called out to deal with flooding in parts of South Wales as a major incident was declared.

It comes as Storm Bert has continued to bring heavy rain and strong winds across the UK - with around 400 flood warnings and alerts in place in England, Wales and Scotland.

Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said: "I am deeply saddened to witness the devastation caused by last night's storm and the severe flooding across our communities.

"The flooding across areas in the Rhondda and Ogmore is unprecedented. I have never seen it on this scale before.

"My team and I are working tirelessly to support those impacted, and I want to assure everyone that the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council and Dwr Cymru teams are doing everything in their power to respond to this crisis."

Scenes from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales

Meanwhile, London's Winter Wonderland event in Hyde Park was forced to shut down due to safety fears.

A spokesperson said: "All affected ticket holders have been contacted directly."

"The safety of our visitors and staff are our top priority and we are sorry for any disappointment caused," they added.

"With better weather forecast in the coming week, we anticipate operating as normal from Monday, and look forward to welcoming guests again soon.

"Please keep an eye on our official channels for further updates."

The Royal Parks also confirmed that eight major parks had been closed, including all facilities from cafes, kiosks, and cycleways.

The parks affected include Hyde Park, St James's Park, Green Park, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Kensington Gardens and Brompton Cemetery.

There will also be no changing of the guard on Sunday.

Earlier a yellow wind warning has come into force for large parts of England, with gusts of up to 65mph expected in some places.

Another yellow warning for rain remains in place for much of south-west of England, where the Met Office is warning some communities may be cut off by flooded roads.

There is also potential for fast flowing or deep floodwater to cause danger to life, the Met Office said.

Dozens of red flood warnings have been issued, meaning flooding is expected and residents and business owners should "act now".

The worst-hit areas have seen dozens of millimetres of rain overnight, with flood alerts concentrated in Wales, the south-west and north-west of England.

Read more: Storm Bert to wreak more havoc as more than 200 flood warnings issued across the UK for Sunday

Read more: Trains, planes and roads in chaos as Storm Bert sweeps UK with 82 mph winds and heavy snow

Scenes from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales

The storm has once again caused travel disruption, with the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire closed due to strong winds.

The A66 in North Yorkshire and Cumbria is also closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1M and M6 because of the gusty weather.

Fallen trees also caused delays on Sunday morning, with one blocking the railway between Reading and Basingstoke.

In Surrey, all lines between Cobham & Stoke D'abernon and Oxshott were blocked by a fallen tree.

It comes after the killer storm caused chaos on Saturday, with three people dying on the roads and thousands of homes being left without power.

A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on a car on the A34 near Winchester, Hampshire Police said.

The force was called at 7.47am on Saturday to the southbound carriageway between Kings Worthy and Winnall and found the driver of a black Mercedes E350 dead at the scene.

Two other fatal collisions happened while the storm took hold in England.

A 34-year-old man died in a single-vehicle collision in the early hours of Saturday, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers found a blue Renault Captur, which had been travelling towards Saltaire, had collided with a wall.

It is unclear if the incident was related to Storm Bert but it is understood the road was not affected by ice.

Meanwhile, in Northamptonshire, a man in his 40s died in a crash on the A45 near Flore.

Northamptonshire Police said the collision, at around 8.20am on Saturday, involved a silver Toyota Corolla and a dark grey Hyundai i30 Active.

It is not clear whether the incident was linked to the storm.