Parts of southern and western Britain are said to be in the grip of an ‘unparalleled natural crisis’ which shows no sign of ending.
Wednesday could have been called ‘windsday’ as 120 kmp gusts were recorded adding to the misery of weeks of heavy rain and severe flooding. One person died in a weather related accident.
The developing crisis is topic number one in parliament.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has taken personal responsibility for organising the relief effort and has cancelled a trip to the Middle East.
The PM has announced a 6,000 euro grant is to be made available to each flooded house and business to enable people to build better flood protection as they repair their properties.
And a further 12,000 euros will be offered to help farmers.
But there has been no sign yet of the government requesting European emergency funds to which the country is entitled.
Meanwhile flooding in the Thames valley is spreading.
“It’s going to keep getting worse because we’re downstream from the Thames as well, everything from there is going to be flooding down once the barriers and the weirs and the locks open,” said Alex Staddon, a worker at Shepperton marina in Surrey which lies south of London.
The latest storm which smashed onto southern coastlines swept northwards as the Met. office issued its first Red warnings of the winter.
Reporting for euronews from the city of Brighton in the south of England, Emily Dexter warned of more extreme weather conditions to come:
“Hurricane force winds are causing misery for thousands of flooded people here on the South Coast of the UK. The marina wall behind me is being battered by colossal waves and relentless winds and forecasters say to expect a month’s worth of rain in the coming days.”
