River levels yet to peak

1:47pm Saturday 6th September 2008

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THE river Severn is not expected to peak in Worcester and Upton until this afternoon, according to the Environment Agency.

The river in Worcester rose rapidly overnight, despite the fact there was nowhere near as much rainfall compared to the previous night.

Residents and businesses are being told to stay vigilant as flood warnings remain in place on the river Severn between Bevere and Powick, including Worcester, as well as Worcester to Tewkesbury.

There is also a flood warning on the River Teme from Bransford Bridge to Powick.

An agency spokeswoman said: “We are expecting some rises in that area down the Severn, but they are slow rises.

“There was not as much rain overnight as the previous night but we have still got flood warnings in place.

“It should peak sometime this afternoon in Worcester and a bit later on in Upton but if we have more rain that situation might change and we might get a few more rises.”

Flood barriers remain in place along Hylton Road in Worcester and along the Waterside in Upton.

The spokeswoman said river level depths in Worcester are currently about 4.43 metres and expected to rise to a peak of about 4.8 metres.

The agency’s gauge at Diglis is currently at 4.05 metres.

The spokeswoman said: “It’s stable there at the moment but we are expecting it to rise a little bit today.”

In Upton, the river level dpeth is currently about 4.45 metres but that could rise up to 5.1 metres later today.

“They are very steady rises,” said the spokeswoman. “Clearly we are still asking people to be vigilant with the situation because the situation can change.”

The spokeswoman urged people to keep up-to-date with the latest developments on this website or by calling the floodline on 0845 988 1188.

Click here for the Environment Agency's latest flood warnings for the Midlands.
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