A man has drowned in a river and and a sinkhole has swallowed two houses in Manchester as Storm Christoph wreaks havoc across the UK.
Large swathes of the country have been hit by severe flooding today following torrential rainfall overnight.
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More than six emergency service vehicles were called to the banks of the River Taff at Blackweir in the grounds of Cardiff Castle in Wales after a walker spotted a body.
Rescue teams were scouring the riverbank - but the flooded river was hampering the search.
Cops later recovered the body of a middle-aged man after divers went into the water.
Dog-walker Karen Woods, 60, said: "I've never seen the river so full - it was raging.
"There were emergency vehicles everywhere and I can't see how anyone would stand a chance in those waters."
A cordon remains in place at the scene as emergency services continue to investigate.
Two severe flood warnings, 29 flood warnings and 36 flood alerts remain in place across Wales.
Here's everything we know so far:
- Around 2,000 properties in the East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden areas of Manchester were evacuated last night amid rising water levels
- Brits in the areas of Maghull in Merseyside and Ruthin, North Wales were also asked to leave their homes
- Three "severe" flood warnings remain in place for the River Dee at Farndon, the River Bollin at Little Bollington and the River Bollin at Heatley
- Another severe flood warning remains active for Bangor on Dee in Wales
- Boris Johnson left Downing Street by helicopter this morning to visit a storm basin near the River Mersey in Didsbury, Greater Manchester
It comes as Storm Christoph caused havoc for Brits across the country, as some 2,000 homes and businesses in Didsbury, Greater Manchester were evacuated from their homes last night amid heavy flooding.
Two houses were also swallowed by a giant sinkhole today after a sewer collapsed underneath Walmer Street in Gorton, Manchester.
Dramatic pictures show the properties sinking into the ground, sending debris flying into neighbours down the street.
Families in Maghull in Merseyside and Ruthin, North Wales, were also forced out of their homes due to rising floodwaters.
Aberllefenni, in Wales, has seen the UK's highest amount of rainfall so far during Storm Christoph, with 187.8mm dumped over the last 56 hours, according to the Met Office.
Meanwhile, RNLI lifeboat volunteers were forced to rescue a dad and two young children from the sea off Llanddwyn Beach in Anglesey, North Wales after the family became trapped by rising waters.
As of 4pm today, the Environment Agency had issued a further 175 flood warnings across England, with 194 less severe flood alerts, mainly across the Midlands and north of the country.
Lee Rawlinson, of the Environment Agency, said that flood basins put in place on the River Mersey in Didsbury had kept properties in the area dry overnight.
He told the BBC: "The top of the river came within centimetres of the top of the river bank but our defences there have served their purpose and kept those properties dry
"But it was very close."
A total of 176 flood warnings are in place across England as of this afternoon, with three "severe" warnings - meaning danger to life - issued for the North West.
But Manchester City Council this afternoon confirmed the Didsbury area had "avoided the worst-case scenario".
In a statement, the authority said: "Water levels had continued to rise overnight as expected, but the Didsbury Basin did not significantly overflow and the worst-case scenario was avoided.
"However, high water levels have flooded some gardens and some roads remain closed."
Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey, Chair of the GM Strategic Coordination Group for Storm Christoph, said Greater Manchester Police had decided to "step down" the major incident declared in Didsbury on Tuesday morning.
But he stressed it "does not mean that we are withdrawing resources from the areas affected and others identified as potentially vulnerable".
'NEVER SEEN IT THIS BAD'
Locals in Didsbury today told of their shock as thousands were evacuated from homes.
Trish Loder said she and her husband had gone to their daughter's house nearby at about 10pm after being warned there was a risk of flooding.
The 68-year-old said: "It was very dramatic. We've lived here for 40 years and I've never seen it this bad."
Gabrielle Burns-Smith, 44, said her home in Lymm, Cheshire, had flooded yesterday afternoon.
She said: "We're still in the house, we can't go anywhere because we can't get the car out, the water is just too deep. Both our living rooms are flooded.
"We managed to get a couple of hours sleep but you almost don't want to go to sleep because you don't know what you'll wake up to."
Flooding also forced the evacuation of some 40 residents from Weaver Court care home in Northwich, Cheshire.
Dramatic photos show the OAPs being rescued by fire crews with dinghies earlier this afternoon.
Emergency services also battled overnight to save a factory producing the Oxford Covid vaccine in North Wales from flooding caused by Storm Christoph.
Firefighters raced to Wrexham Industrial Estate last night to protect the jab.
The plant has been tasked with making 300 million doses of the vaccine per year but it lies close to the River Dee, which was last night at its highest level ever recorded.
Pharmaceutical firm Wockhardt UK, which runs laboratories and factories on the estate, said it had experienced "mild flooding, resulting in excess water surrounding part of the buildings across site".
A spokeswoman added: "All necessary precautions were taken, meaning no disruption to manufacturing or inlet of water into buildings.
"The site is now secure and free from any further flood damage and operating as normal."
Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard told BBC Radio Wales: "We had an incident at Wrexham Industrial Estate, the Oxford vaccination is produced there and the warehouse where it is stored.
"Obviously I can't tell you where it is, but we had to work in partnership to make sure we didn't lose the vaccinations in the floods.
"I've been up all night... it's a very difficult time for us."
Mr Pritchard told Sky News that severe flooding at the plant "could have had an impact not just in Wrexham, Wales, but across the whole country with the vaccination supplies".
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson travelled from London to Manchester by RAF helicopter this morning to visit a storm basin near the River Mersey in Didsbury, Greater Manchester.
He told reporters: "We are very worried, obviously, about the risk of flooding every year."
He thanked the Environment Agency for their "amazing preparations" and the effort to evacuate people overnight, but warned "there will be further rain overnight".
Downing Street said Covid-secure facilities would be available for any people forced to evacuate as a result of the weather.
Met forecaster John Griffiths said Bolton in Greater Manchester recorded the highest rainfall in England at 150.4mm - more than the region's average for the entire month of January.
Environment secretary George Eustice today told the House of Commons that severe weather was likely to continue in the coming days - but the government was prepared.
He said: "Water levels in the Didsbury flood base have now started to recede, however water will continue to work through the river systems in the North-West and Yorkshire in the coming days.
"More unsettled weather is also expected next week, so we continue to prepare for further impacts."
Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge described Storm Christoph as "quite a slow-moving system" which is bringing "a variety of weather" to the UK.
The meteorologist said: "While rain remains the main hazard in the south, further north we've got snow and ice remaining a risk.
"The system will work its way through, we are expecting significant totals of rainfall and when you combine that with snowmelt it can lead to localised flooding across the affected regions."
There is a risk of further snow later in the week as Storm Christoph makes its way east, with accumulations expected in Scotland, northern England and parts of Northern Ireland, Mr Madge added.
Public Health England (PHE) has issued a cold weather alert for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber that began at 9am this morning and lasts until January 25.
Dr Owen Landeg, principal environmental public health scientist at PHE, urged people to "keep looking out" for frail or older neighbours and relatives, particularly those living alone or with a serious illness.
Rail services have also been disrupted on the Northern network after tracks flooded.
There are suspensions on services from Carlisle to Skipton or Maryport, all destinations from Rotherham Central, and between Manchester and Newton le Willows.
Rail services between Warrington Central and Liverpool Lime Street, Altrincham to Chester, and Wigan to Southport are also suspended.
And last night rescue teams worked throughout the night to save a Morrisons delivery van that came stuck on a flooded road.
The County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service posted a video of the rescue congratulating the crew on rescuing the delivery driver.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said rain is the biggest initial concern - before temperatures plunge and winds pick up later this week.
He described the situation as "a timeline of different hazards as we go through the week".
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzEzODA5OTM1L3N0b3JtLWNocmlzdG9waC1vbmUtcGVyc29uLWRyb3duZWQtdWstd2VhdGhlci_SAVlodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVzdW4uY28udWsvbmV3cy8xMzgwOTkzNS9zdG9ybS1jaHJpc3RvcGgtb25lLXBlcnNvbi1kcm93bmVkLXVrLXdlYXRoZXIvYW1wLw?oc=5
2021-01-21 17:37:00Z
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