Lightning bangs as Shropshire braced for floods

A loud bang was heard across Shropshire as thunder and lightning swept the county.

A video posted on social media captured the sound in Bridgnorth as Storm Gerrit brought high winds.

Barriers have gone up and flood warnings apply at Maesbrook, Melverley and Shrewsbury following rainfall.

Elizabeth Nicholls and daughter Lottie, 17, from Bridgnorth, heard the bang - thought to be a lightning strike - while filming the rain from a window.

"I've never heard anything like it," said Ms Nicholls, a member of the band Rumour.

"We have been surrounded by storms before now but nothing like that.

"[The] rain stopped immediately after."

Flood barriers have been put up on the Wharfage in Ironbridge, where Telford & Wrekin Council said it was expecting a possible peak of 5.4m (17ft) on Friday.

Chris Bainger, from the Environment Agency, said teams had worked through "difficult conditions" due to the winds to get the barriers up in advance of the storm.

"We are prepared, we have been precautionary," he said.

"Our operations teams are working around the clock elsewhere on the catchment and flood defences are also in place in Bewdley."

He advised people to follow updates on the weather online.

Barriers have also gone up in the Frankwell car park in Shrewsbury, which was closed until further notice.

In Shrewsbury, riverside pathways were closed from Greyfriars Bridge to The Weir, from Pig Trough to the West Midlands Showground and from New Street to The Stew.

The Environment Agency has warned river levels at the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury were predicted to peak on Thursday night.

Following flood warnings, Shropshire Council said earlier: "River levels are rising at the Llanymynech river gauge as a result of heavy rainfall.

"We expect flooding to affect properties and roads in and around Melverley including Melverley to Melverley Green and Ponthen to Melverley roads."

A flood alert, where flooding is possible, is in place for the Severn Vyrnwy confluence which means possible floods of low lying land and roads adjacent to the river from the Welsh border at Llawnt to Shrawardine near Shrewsbury.

Another alert applies on the Severn in Shropshire, as flooding was expected to affect low-lying land and roads next to the river from Shrewsbury to Upper Arley. Ironbridge and Bridgnorth were among areas that may be affected.

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