'Persistent and heavy' rain over weekend
People in flood-hit areas are preparing for further rain
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Sunday, 01, Jul 2007 09:55
The Met Office has forecast "persistent and heavy" rainfall of between 15mm to 25mm across England and Wales over the weekend with the "possibility of more prolonged rain during Tuesday".
The areas set to face the most severe disruptions are Yorkshire and Humber, the West Midlands, the East Midlands, Wales, south-west England and east England.
It expects stormy weather to move over eastern areas of the country on Sunday evening.
The gloomy prospects for the weather are likely to worsen flood conditions across the country after emergency teams were put on standby in flood-hit areas.
Six people are now feared to have been killed as a result of the flooding, with Nottinghamshire police revealing on Friday that they had recovered the body of a woman from a fishing lake in Newark.
Insurance claims for damage caused by the bad weather have already been estimated to total £1 billion, with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) warning that the figure could rise if more homes and businesses are affected by further flooding.
A national flood support centre has been established in Worcester to coordinate the response of fire and rescue services to new reports of flooding and to try and anticipate where flash floods might occur by monitoring weather forecasts over the weekend.
The Environment Agency has warned people to avoid travelling through the flood waters by foot or by heavy vehicle.
"Even if you are in a large vehicle, you can still be swept away. These flood waters could also be contaminated by sewage, with associated health risks," it warned.