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Britain Braced For More Floods And Chaos

A violent storm brewing in the Atlantic is set to bring more flooding and travel chaos today as Britain returns to work after the Christmas holidays.The weather conditions that brought misery over the festive period continued to prove treacherous at the weekend – with a 47-year-old man becoming the third person to die in the storms.Britain Braced Floods And Chaos

The unnamed man died when his mobility scooter fell into the swollen River Thames at Osney Lock, Oxford, at 6.30pm on Saturday.

A search is continuing for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth.

Forecasters are warning gusts of up to 70mph will hit western coasts early this morning.

As winds whip up rough seas in the Atlantic, it could lead to even further coastal flooding with 10-metre-high waves possible for southwest England, Wales, and western Scotland.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning – meaning “be aware” – for heavy rain overnight in southern parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, southern Wales, north-east England and the South.

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in higher ground.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued one severe flood warning – near Bournemouth, Dorset – and more than 80 flood warnings covering every region.

It urged communities in Dorset and Oxfordshire to prepare for “significant flooding” in the lower reaches of the Thames, Dorset Stour and Frome rivers.

More flooding is expected on the Somerset Levels and rivers in the South East, including the Severn, remain “very high” after recent rainfall.

The EA says some 220 properties have been flooded so far, miles of coastline have been battered and roads and fields across the country left under water.

he severe weather has already taken its toll on the transport network – with more disruption expected for morning commuters.

Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

And there is likely to be trouble on the roads, with the RAC expecting today to be one of the busiest days of the year for breakdowns, with 11,000 call-outs expected.

People in Wales are bracing themselves for more flooding and damage after the worst storms in 15 years battered the coastline on Friday.

Aberystwyth University is evacuating students who live in halls of residence facing the seafront as more strong winds approach.

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: “As the UK returns to work after the Christmas and New Year holidays, some travel disruption is likely on Britain’s roads and railways.

“Also, there’s likely to be more flooding, with coastal areas at greatest risk as winds gust up to 70mph in the West.

“The storm system out in the Atlantic has whipped up the sea creating a large swell which is heading towards us early on Monday morning, so that combined with strong winds could cause flooding at high tide.

“The spring tides are past their peak now, but the high-tide waters are still likely to cause concern.”

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