Flood-ravaged towns could face further devastation as 171 warnings issued

Floods flooding in Yorkshire

The Environment Agency has issued 171 flood warnings and 177 alerts, indicating there is more destruction to come for the UK’s rain battered areas. The agency has warned that despite a drop in rainfall, the risk of further flooding remains, as a week of torrential rainfall works its way through rivers.

According to catastrophe modelling firm AIR, the rain is expected to abate by Tuesday afternoon. But river and groundwater levels are expected to peak in the next 48 hours, indicating the possibility of further flooding.

In addition to the warnings, two severe flood warnings – meaning a threat to life – remain in place at the River Elwy in North Wales, where the small town of St Asaph has been devastated by flood waters after the river reached a record high of 14ft 3in (4.35m) and burst through its defences.

An emergency centre has been set up in a leisure centre to help hundreds of people who were forced to abandon their homes.

Loss adjusting firm GAB Robins said that more than 50% of the claims they have seen so far have been in the south west from domestic properties. A large number of claims have also been received for the Midlands, with Leicestershire being one of the worst affected areas, and Yorkshire, which is still under threat of heavy rain.

The Environment Agency has confirmed that areas likely to encounter significant flooding include parts of Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd, Flintshire and Wrexham during the next 24 hours as heavy rain persists in north Wales.