UK weather forecast: Heavy rain and SNOW to hit as Storm Jorge continues to wreak havoc on flood-hit areas
BRITAIN is being hit by Storm Jorge with gales of up to 7omph and the bad weather is expected to continue to wreak havoc.
Winds have backed off for now, but weather warnings remain in place over most of the UK, as more flooding is predicted.
Yesterday Storm Jorge - the third storm of February and fifth since December — caused more chaos after Ciara and Dennis.
Another four inches of morning rain triggered landslides, submerged towns and triggered more than 260 flood warnings.
Met Office spokesman Luke Miall said: "We have seen the worst of the winds now with regards to Storm Jorge.
"We will still continue to see the wet weather throughout the night and into Sunday."
Mr Miall told the that over the higher grounds the UK will see "some significant accumulations of snow" in areas above 250 ft.
He added: "Elsewhere, throughout tomorrow it is going to be a day of sunshine and showers, with some spells of sleet, hail and snow - although the snow will not settle further south,"
February has been the wettest EVER after three storms and 29 days of relentless rain and snow across the country.
A UK average of 202.1mm (almost eight inches) has fallen this month, surpassing February 1990 when 193.4mm (7.59 inches) fell, the Met Office said, twice the usual for the month.
Some villages saw seven inches of water fall in a weekend.
Thousands of homes have been destroyed by unprecedented flooding this month and this weekend is going to be no exception as Storm Jorge moves in on us.
Storm Jorge is battering flood-ravaged Britain as rain hit for the fourth weekend in a row with 70mph winds, torrential rain and snow also on the way.
On Saturday night, 90 flood warnings and 214 flood alerts were in force.
More than 600 homes were flooded in South Wales as the police declared a critical incident in the region this morning.
Travel chaos is set to continue as heavy snow is predicted for Wales and South West England, which is expected to cause train cancellations and road closures.
In East Yorkshire dramatic photos show locals being rescued from their flooded homes by canoe after rivers burst their banks.
Search and rescue teams waded through the shoulder-high water to evacuate families in the village of Snaith.
In East Cowick, Yorkshire, firefighters helped locals to deploy four tonnes of sandbags to help reduce the impact of the flooding, with 60 properties still at risk.
Crews pumped water from the Snaith into the River Don as rain forced closures along the A164.
Waves also battered the south coast in Dorset as areas of Swanage were taped off by coastguards following landslides overnight.
Downpours loosened soil, causing a 400-tonne mud mountain to block the A381 between Totnes and Ipplepen in Devon.
A slip at Burlington Chine, Dorset, led the council to warn walkers: “Avoid the cliffs.”
More than 160 homes near Exeter and 92 in Plymouth were left without power.
A picture on Twitter showed a swimmer in Galway as the storm ravaged the west coast of Ireland.
Another terrifying video shows a truck toppling over on a main road near the town during the storm.
Flights have been diverted from Dublin airport due to the high winds, according to a source on .
Storm Jorge also brought torrential rain and 60mph winds in Wales on Friday night, causing travel chaos with roads and railway tracks submerged in water.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has taken a total of 72 calls between 6pm on Friday and 6am on Saturday.
According to , fire crews had to rescue cars near Welshpool Airport in the Severn Valley after drivers ignored 'road closed' signs to drive through the flood.
A landslide has also completely cut off a village in Merthyr Tydfil, with the road leading from the village towards the Aberglais pub totally blocked.
Superintendent Andy Kingdom from South Wales Police said: "Indications are that the rain is set to stop and river levels will soon recede."There is still significant surface water and debris on the roads throughout the force area so we would advise people only to travel if absolutely necessary."
The Midlands has also been affected by record rainfall, in some places three times the monthly average.
In Ironbridge, Shropshire an emergency evacuation took place when the River Severn burst its banks.
FLOOD WARNINGS
There are nine yellow weather warnings for rain, wind and snow in force across the country for Saturday, stretching from Cornwall to the north of Scotland.
Rain will continue to fall in these areas through the night, but "by seven or eight o'clock in the morning the rain should have stopped in those areas", according to Met Office forecaster Emma Salter.
She explained: "We've got Storm Jorge at the moment with quite a few weather warnings in force.
"Broadly speaking, latter parts of tonight through to tomorrow morning, it's going to be quite lively with some heavy rain and strong winds."
Persistent snow is expected across higher ground in Scotland and people have been warned to expect travel disruption on road, bus and rail routes.
The Met Office warnings persist into Sunday, with most of the country braced for more strong winds, and Scotland for yet more snow.
75 MPH WINDS
However, there may be some let-up as the new week begins, with the rain and wind warnings abating, leaving only the wintry showers north of the border.
Drivers are urged to be careful when travelling over the weekend, and advised not to drive through deep water, as "just one eggcup" of water is enough to ruin an engine.
England has received more than 200% of its average February rainfall, according to the Environment Agency, with some areas experiencing a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.
Storm Jorge is the fifth storm to hit the UK since December 6 last year and the third in February.
