Drivers warned as rain lashes Shropshire

Inspector Paul Crumpton, for West Mercia Police, said heavy rain overnight had led to a number of calls from the public warning about stretches of road which had been particularly affected by standing water. He called for people to exercise caution when driving today.

He said: “We have had lots of rain but so far nothing has collapsed or been washed away and the road traffic collision count has stayed pretty much the same.

“But we remain vigilant and lots of people have been ringing us up saying that there is a significant amount of water on the road.

“My advice would be to make necessary journeys only, to make those journeys slower than usual and take extra precautions in general. Also, don’t drive through deep water as that can lead to problems.”

The horrendous weather has battered large parts of Britain and claimed one life, a woman believed to be around 30 years old who was killed by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens during gusts of wind close to 30mph.

The woman, thought to be a New Zealander living in London, was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday afternoon.

Her death came as communities nationwide braced themselves for wind speeds of up to 60mph and rainfall of up to 60mm in some regions over the next 24 hours.

The Environment Agency has issued 65 flood alerts and 11 flood warnings. The agency said they had teams out across the country checking flood defences in order to reduce the risk of flooding.

David Jordan, director of operations at the Environment Agency said: “We already have teams out on the ground checking on flood defences and clearing any blockages in order to reduce the risk of flooding as much as possible.”