AS water levels slowly recede in Worcester, a busy city-centre road has now reopened after it was submerged under floodwater.

Rising riving levels forced police to close Hylton Road on Thursday evening due to excessive surface water but it re-opened again yesterday morning.

Ed O’Brien, of Severn Trent, said engineers were working 24 hours a day with the Environment Agency and the Highways Authority to help manage rising waters.

“To help minimise the effects of flooding we’re continuing to use three pumps to clear water from Hylton Road,” he said. “Two pumps have been working as planned since last Friday night, but yesterday evening we used our back-up pump as well, because the flow of water increased.

“Unfortunately, some flooding on Hylton Road did occur. We are happy to report that as a result of these actions flooding in the road was reduced.”

The news comes as water levels begin to recede and a drier and brighter outlook is expected for the weekend.

However, county council gritters were set to head out overnight to prepare roads for a predicted frost this morning.

Ian Michaelwaite, of netweather.tv in Pershore, said after a frost overnight and into this morning, today would be much better with very little cloud and maximum temperatures of 5C or 6C.

“There’s a risk of icy stretches through the early hours of the morning,” he said.

“There will be a hard frost throughout Saturday evening and Saturday night with temperatures dropping to 0C or –1C and in rural areas, –2C or –3C. The hard frost will gradually lift as the day approaches lunchtime.”

More rain is expected on Sunday afternoon and into Sunday evening, with up to 10milimetres of rain falling in the county and a risk of localised flooding.

As your Worcester News went to press, six flood warnings remain in place for the river Severn after peaking yesterday morning.

Warnings are in place at Pitchcroft, Diglis, Court Meadow, Kempsey and Callow End, along with East Waterside and Hanley Road in Upton-upon-Severn, and Hanley Castle and Saxons Lode which includes properties directly next to the river in Uckinghall and Rectory Road, Upton-upon-Severn.