Shropshire and Mid Wales floods: Van driver rescued from water

The driver was rescued from Back Lane in Llandrinio by a water rescue team in a boat after the alarm was raised just after noon yesterday.

Barriers are up along the Wharfage in Ironbridge in a bid to stem the impact of rising waters and will remain in place overnight.

Frankwell car park in Shrewsbury was today under water and flood barriers are in place.

Shropshire flooding on Twitter:

Today flood waters were expected to keep rising in Ironbridge until this afternoon. In Bridgnorth water levels should peak on Friday morning.

The rising level of water has posed a stern challenge for people from all walks of life – but when air ambulance staff are struggling to make it to their shift you know it's serious.

• See all current Shropshire flood warnings and alerts here

Crew members based at Welshpool Airport had to ditch their cars on the morning commute and some had to be picked up by a Land Rover.

Parts of the airbase were flooded – and there were even discussions over potentially "rescuing" the Wales Air Ambulance helicopter and moving it to higher ground.

But the crew was able to clock in and was on stand-by to help in the case of emergencies.

At 2.30am today 11 flood warnings were in place covering Shropshire and Mid Wales:

• River Perry at Mytton

• River Severn at Montford Bridge and Shrawardine

• River Severn at Shrewsbury

• River Severn at the Showground and The Quarry, Shrewsbury

• River Severn at Ironbridge and Jackfield

• River Severn at Bridgnorth

• Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows

• River Severn at Quatford

• River Severn at Hampton Loade and Highley

• River Vyrnwy at Maesbrook

• River Vyrnwy at Melverley

Nine flood alerts were also listed:

• The River Dee Catchment from Whitchurch to Chester

• River Severn in Shropshire

• Tern and Perry Catchments

• River Severn in Worcestershire

• Upper Teme

• Severn Vyrnwy Confluence

• Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows

• Upper Severn in Powys

• Vyrnwy Catchment

• See all current Shropshire flood warnings and alerts here

It's just one example of the efforts people have made to combat the floods, which has caused the closure of bridges and car parks and brought disruption to life in towns and the countryside.

In Ironbridge all shops, restaurants, museums and public houses on The Wharfage and elsewhere in the Gorge will remain open for business as normal and all car parks will also remain open – though the road is closed to cars.

Shropshire has been given a yellow warning by the Met Office. Heavy rainfall in Wales will affect the county with flood alerts issued by the Environment Agency for the River Severn and the River Vyrnwy.

Welshpool Airport remained closed yesterday, but staff revealed their commute to work on Tuesday morning had been particularly tricky.

Pilot Paul Cakebread and critical care practitioner Andrew Williams had to abandon their cars. Dr Rhys Thomas, also on duty that day, had to pick them up in his Land Rover and get the team to the base.

Dr Thomas said: "We were all shocked by how much water there was, and how fast it was flowing. It was too dangerous to wade through in places.

"Parts of the airbase had flooded too, and we were planning to 'rescue' the helicopter and find higher ground. Thankfully the water receded and we could remain operational from the base.

"In the end we didn't attend any missions, but it was important to be on standby should anyone need us. With an air ambulance we can bypass flooded roads, so if for example there was a cardiac incident on the other side of a flooded town we could be there in minutes."

He added: "We're also lucky to have an Audi Q7 rapid response car, which you can lift the suspension on for flood water, so we have that on standby as well."

Flood defences have been up in Frankwell in Shrewsbury since Tuesday and are expected to remain in place until at least the start of next week.

Dave Throup, of the Environment Agency, said that although the River Severn was expected to peak yesterday afternoon the levels would be monitored closely. He said: "We are watching very closely as a lot more rain was expected in Wales yesterday and potentially on Saturday and Sunday.

"So when the peak goes through Shrewsbury today it may not be the end of the story because there may be more flooding close behind."

Mr Throup said that all three stages of flood defences in Frankwell had been put in place, although those at Coleham Head have not yet been deployed.

Car parks at Frankwell and St Julian Friars have been closed as a precaution since Tuesday, as have a number of roads into the town. At Welsh Bridge the tow path has disappeared under the water while the flood barriers at the rear of the Theatre Severn and Frankwell car park have been installed.

At English Bridge, Abbey Gardens have also been submerged.

Some roads in the town have been closed including Gravel Hill Lane close to the Greenhous West Mids Showground and Sydney Avenue in Castlefields.

A number of roads have been closed in Mid Wales, including Llandrinio Bridge on the B4393 which has had stonework damaged by rising water. Tanat Valley Coaches has made changes to a number of their bus services due to the ongoing problems.

Barriers in Shrewsbury and Ironbridge are expected to stay in place until at least the weekend as more rain is due.