Weather warning: new storms and floods predicted to hit South-East at the weekend

 
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The Government’s emergency committee Cobra met today to discuss the response to ferocious weather which has torn down power lines, closed roads and flooded homes over Christmas and New Year.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired the meeting after spending yesterday ensuring that the Environment Agency and local councils “are on the ground and offering all possible support to their communities”.

Officials from the Met Office, the Environment Agency, the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence also attended as forecasters warned that London and much of the rest of the UK are likely to face high winds and driving rain this weekend.

The Environment Agency said storms expected from tomorrow to Sunday had the potential to be “a significant weather event”.

Mr Paterson said: “We will remain in touch with councils in at-risk areas. With a number of flood alerts for the South-East for tomorrow, including several areas which have previously been flooded, I urge everyone in affected areas to sign up to EA flood warnings and follow the advice issued.”

The search for a man swept out to sea in Cornwall on New Year’s Eve was called off today after a body was found on the beach at Porthleven.

The unnamed 27-year-old man, from Guildford, had gone swimming in “atrocious” conditions after a party.

He was among five friends swimming near Loe Bar, a shingle bank. Conditions at the time included severe gale force nine winds and 10-foot waves.

The police today said formal identification has yet to take place, but

Falmouth Coastguard said it had called off the search.

Inspector Ian Milligan of Devon and Cornwall police said: “The male was part of a group on holiday in the area, five of whom went for a night swim. It was only when the other swimmers returned to the beach that they realised their friend was not with them.”

Just 24 hours earlier, a woman died after being swept out to sea at Croyde Bay, Devon.

Portland Coastguard was today searching for a man thought to have fallen into the River Stour, near Iford Bridge in Christchurch, Dorset.

Portland Coastguard watch manager Jennet Chisholm said: “All the rescue units are working in very challenging conditions with rain and strong winds, but so far have been unable to find any sign of a missing man.”

The severe weather has closed roads and about 300 properties in the South and East of England are without electricity. A man was taken to hospital after a tree fell on his BMW car on the A21 in Orpington shortly after 5pm yesterday, and a number of people had to be rescued when a building partly collapsed in Hendon an hour earlier. Flooding also affected a number of train services this morning. South West Trains said no services ran between Teddington and Shepperton and there were reduced services between Redbridge and Romsey in Hampshire.

The Environment Agency has issued 53 flood warnings and 242 flood alerts for England and Wales.

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