Heavy rain causes roads to flood and GWR rail disruption

Flooding has disrupted drivers and railway passengers in the west of England following heavy rain.

Two train lines are blocked between Bristol Parkway and Swindon, and the line between Bristol Temple Meads, Bath and Swindon.

Network Rail said it expected both lines to stayed closed for the remainder of Thursday.

Heavy rain has led to the Environment Agency issuing a number of flood alerts warnings across the West.

Smaller rivers have swollen too due to the heavy rain and Midford Brook near Bath appeared unusually high earlier.

A number of roads have been closed due to flooding and drivers were rescued from their cars in Keynsham.

Great Western Railway said a "very limited" coach service replacement was operating between Swindon and Chippenham due to disruption on the railway.

The Trans Wiltshire service between Swindon and Salisbury has also been suspended.

On the roads, Old Bristol Road in Keynsham is closed and some cars are afloat.

Avon and Fire Rescue Service saved one person from their car shortly after 02:00GMT and were then called to the same road at 08:24.

A spokesperson said: "Crews from Hicks Gate were called at 08:24 to reports of three [people] stranded in vehicles on Old Bristol Road due to flooding affecting the road.

"Firefighters rescued two persons from the vehicles to safety on dry land. One person self-rescued."

Dan James, rural enterprise manager at Exmoor National Park Authority, said the water levels in Dulverton were "pretty much as high as I've ever seen it".

"It was an absolute raging torrent.

"In recent weeks it's been pretty damp and now the water just has nowhere to go," he added.

Several roads have been closed on the Somerset/Devon border after the River Exe burst its banks, leading to pub ownersbeing stranded in floodwater.

A spokesperson for Bath and North East Somerset Council said staff were "working hard" to clear roads, gullies and debris and were helping residents to prepare for any threats to properties.

A flood warning was issued for the River Chew in North Somerset around Chew Magna, Stanton Drew and Pensford.

Residents living there have been advised to take action due to an immediate risk of flooding.

The water level along all rivers is expected to continue to rise throughout today and tomorrow.

The A368 in Somerset has been shut between Bishop Sutton and Harptree, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Tanya Kloppers from The Courtyard hair salon in Bradford-on-Avon said the rising water had come as a surprise as she had not received any notification that flooding was imminent.

"It's (the water) really coming in quite fast now.

"Before, the Agency have been amazing with letting us know they are going to put them [barriers] up and at one time they put them up three or four times in one year and it didn't actually flood, but now it is flooding and they're not here."

The A431 between Bristol and Bath at Swineford is also shut and South Gloucestershire Council said it was providing sandbags, with water levels expected to rise further.

Meanwhile the A361, which was closed on Wednesday due to flood risk, has been reopened following pumping to reduce water levels at flood storage reservoir Currymoor.

There are also warnings in place around Tewkesbury and Lower Apperley for the River Severn in Gloucestershire and roads have flooded at Reybridge near Lacock, Wiltshire.

Avon Fire and Rescue said it had received several calls about flooding and asked people not to drive through floodwater.

The Environment Agency has issued dozens of flood alerts across the west, with at least 40 flood warnings in place.

The Met Office said downpours might cause power cuts and properties to flood.

Some areas are also seeing extreme gusts, with the wet and windy weather likely to carry on throughout the weekend and into next week, with a dip in temperatures bringing with it a risk of sleet and snow.

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