Search A Light In The Darkness

Saturday 21 July 2007

Drivers Stranded In Swamped Britain

The M5 blocked at Junction 6
The M5 blocked at Junction 6

Thousands of drivers are still stuck in their cars after spending the night on motorways following a midsummer monsoon that caused travel chaos - and there is more misery to come.Thousands more with flooded homes were forced to spend the night in emergency centres. The worst-hit area was the M5 in Worcestershire, which has been at a standstill since last night. The major flood rescue operation also saw lifeboat crews rescue holidaymakers stranded on top of caravans. Baroness Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, told Sky News: "These are the sorts of rain falls we experience in the past every 100 years, every 150 years, sometimes every 200 years - they're very extreme."

Southern and south-west England have suffered the brunt of the extreme conditions. The Hereford and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service alone has received more than 1,000 calls for help in the past 24 hours. (The Sun)