LONDON – Britain remained Monday on high alert after the second major storm of the season battered the country over the weekend, leaving at least two people dead and disrupting road and rail travel.
Hundreds of homes in England and Wales battled the floodwaters on Monday and several rail operators canceled services after Storm Bert lashed Britain with heavy rains and wind gusts up to 80 mph over the weekend. As much as 130 millimeters (5.1 inches) of rain fell in some areas, causing some rivers to overflow their banks and turning roads into waterways.
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A man in his 80s died after his car entered the water at a ford in Lancashire in northwest England on Saturday, and a body believed to be that of a missing dog walker was found the same day near the Afon Conwy river in North Wales.
“Further flooding is sadly likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower flowing rivers such as the Severn and the Ouse,” Environment Secretary Steve Reed told the House of Commons. “The Environment Agency anticipates that any impacts should be less severe than we’ve seen in recent days.”
More than 130 flood alerts remained in effect across England, Wales and Scotland late Monday.
A severe flood warning, meaning there is danger to life, was issued for the River Nene in Northampton as water levels continued to rise. Hoping to escape, people holding shopping bags filled with necessities waded through deep water Monday.
Stan Brown, 67, who has lived in the region for 25 years, said he had no choice but to go.
“I’ve got somewhere else to go but I’m one of the few," he said. “Other people have spent their life savings to buy a place there, and now they’ve got nowhere else to go.”
Among the hardest hit areas were parts of Wales, where residents of Pontypridd tried to protect their homes by using buckets to bail water over a flood wall and back into the River Taff. Two severe flood warnings issued for the River Monnow in southeast Wales have been lowered to warnings.
Because of climate change and warmer oceans, storms can pick up more energy, increasing wind speeds, while a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.
Reed said the government planned to spend 2.4 billion pounds ($3 billion) over the next two years to shore up flood defenses around the country.
“Climate change will inevitably lead to more severe weather of the kind we’ve seen this weekend,” he said.