How did this happen again? Severn and Avon rivers burst their banks and leave Tewkesbury underwater for the fourth time in 12 years with a further 170 alerts and warnings in place across Britain after a weekend of rain(29 Pics)

Britain was today hit by widespread flooding after rivers burst their banks following the weekend's heavy rain, leaving the Gloucestershire town of Tewkesbury underwater for the fourth time in 12 years.
Tewkesbury was badly hit yet again after the Severn and Avon rivers burst their banks, and the Environment Agency has issued 171 flood warnings or alerts, with the Midlands most affected.
The flooding at Tewkesbury comes after the whole town was cut off during the summer of 2007, which was the wettest on record for England - further flooding more recently in both November 2012 and December 2013.
In 2012 Prime Minister David Cameron insisted the Government was spending £2billion on new flood defences over a four-year period, but questions will be raised as to why the same problem has happened yet again.
River levels have remained high following heavy rain over the weekend, which postponed football matches, caused train delays and flooded roads. The River Wye and the River Trent also have multiple warnings in place. 
An aerial view of flooding at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire today, where the Severn and Avon rivers have burst their banks
An aerial view of flooding at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire today, where the Severn and Avon rivers have burst their banks
Yet again! Tewkesbury becomes an island as rivers burst their banks
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
0:00
Previous
Play
Skip
Mute
Current Time0:00
/
Duration Time0:52
Fullscreen
Need Text
The town of Tewkesbury was badly hit by flooding yet again today after the Severn and Avon rivers burst their banks
The town of Tewkesbury was badly hit by flooding yet again today after the Severn and Avon rivers burst their banks
An aerial view of flooding today in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, where the river Severn and Avon have burst their banks
An aerial view of flooding today in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, where the river Severn and Avon have burst their banks
Paul Hayes ferries children to dry land after flooding around their holiday cottage at Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today
Paul Hayes ferries children to dry land after flooding around their holiday cottage at Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today
A Land Rover is submerged in Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today after the village was flooded by rain and high tides
A Land Rover is submerged in Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today after the village was flooded by rain and high tides
Forecasters anticipate the weather will be dry and sunny for the next two days - but temperatures will plunge, with lows of -4.4C (24.1F) in Northern Ireland, -3.9C (25F) in Perthshire and -3.1C (26.4F) in Oxfordshire this morning.
The Environment Agency warned of travel disruption in some areas after flood defences were installed in Bewdley, Hereford, Upton-upon-Severn and Shrewsbury, and temporary barriers erected at Ironbridge in Shropshire.
Parts of Tewkesbury were left submerged by 5ft (1.5m) of water, with Tewkesbury Abbey seen nearly marooned in dramatic drone images taken today in scenes strikingly reminiscent of the devastating floods of 2007.
Other parts of the historic town were also left under several feet of water, following the deluge which saw a month's worth of rain falling in just two days – and there were similar scenes 20 miles away in Worcester.
Dave Throup, Environment Agency manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said: 'It's very unusual for the River Severn to be at such high levels for its entire length, in England.
'We've got flood warnings in place from the Welsh border to Gloucester. Most of our flood defences now deployed or being deployed, protecting hundreds of homes and businesses.'
He said the River Severn was at its highest level since February 2014. The Environment Agency also warned Tewkesbury residents to avoid low-lying footpaths near water courses and low-lying roads near rivers.
Emergency services rescued people from 70 people from flooding-related incidents in Worcestershire and Herefordshire over the weekend, including 64 adults, six children, three dogs, three cats and two hamsters.
Rob Allen, who has been on holiday in the Gloucestershire village of Lydbrook since the weekend, said that water from the River Wye had affected his family holiday.
He said: 'We are on holiday down in the area and we knew that the river was rising overnight, but we woke up this morning and didn't expect it to have risen so high.
'It has affected our access to the holiday home we are in. The family car has been flooded and all three cars are going to be written off. From where we are staying, it is a good 400 to 500ft from the river.
'The local flood warden knocked on the door at tea-time yesterday and said there was a chance it would rise but I don't think he expected it to affect the vehicles in the way it did.'
Mr Allen said his family were forced to fetch some personal belongings from the cars using a canoe provided by the flood warden. He added: 'The house is fine but there is no access out of the house. 
The Environment Agency has issued 171 flood warnings (in red) or alerts (in orange), with the Midlands most affected
The Environment Agency has issued 171 flood warnings (in red) or alerts (in orange), with the Midlands most affected
Firefighters check vehicles as they wade through flood water from the River Wye at Lower Lydbrook today
Firefighters check vehicles as they wade through flood water from the River Wye at Lower Lydbrook today
The centre of York is engulfed in flood water this morning as rivers burst their banks up and down the country
The centre of York is engulfed in flood water this morning as rivers burst their banks up and down the country
Sheep in frost-covered fields near Baltinglass at County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland this morning
Sheep in frost-covered fields near Baltinglass at County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland this morning
Staff at the Vue Bar in Worcester inspect the flood damage to the property today after the UK was hit by widespread flooding
Staff at the Vue Bar in Worcester inspect the flood damage to the property today after the UK was hit by widespread flooding
An aerial view of flooding today in Worcester, where the Severn and Teme rivers meet, after both burst their banks
An aerial view of flooding today in Worcester, where the Severn and Teme rivers meet, after both burst their banks
The city of Worcester is surrounded by flood water from the River Severn as the UK is by widespread flooding today
The city of Worcester is surrounded by flood water from the River Severn as the UK is by widespread flooding today
A staff member at the Vue Bar in Worcester installs flood defences after the UK was hit by widespread flooding
A staff member at the Vue Bar in Worcester installs flood defences after the UK was hit by widespread flooding
'We needed to fetch some personal belongings from the car so the flood warden helped us and provided us with a boat. It has shocked the community around here. It has been worse or as bad as it has been for a number of years.'
Yorkshire was also an area predicted to be affected by flooding. 
Emily Hood, 21, a student at York St John University, said: 'York is renowned for flooding but I've studied at York St John University for the last three years and I have never witnessed it risen this high before.
'People have said it's been higher but I have never captured it on camera. In our area, many fields and roads were flooded due to the rainfall. It rained all of last week and then pretty much for 24 hours Friday and Saturday.
'Luckily, it hasn't rained since Saturday so fingers crossed the river level starts to get lower.'
New Road Cricket Ground is left under several feet of water in Worcester after the UK was hit by widespread flooding today
New Road Cricket Ground is left under several feet of water in Worcester after the UK was hit by widespread flooding today
Worcester city is surrounded by flood water from the River Severn today after rivers burst their banks following the heavy rain
Worcester city is surrounded by flood water from the River Severn today after rivers burst their banks following the heavy rain
Members of Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service use an inflatable raft as they wade through water in Lower Lydbrook today
Members of Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service use an inflatable raft as they wade through water in Lower Lydbrook today
A council 4x4 vehicle turns off onto higher ground through floodwater in Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today
A council 4x4 vehicle turns off onto higher ground through floodwater in Lower Lydbrook in Gloucestershire today
Flooded streets and the B4234 main road in Lower Lydbrook are pictured today after major flooding in the area
Flooded streets and the B4234 main road in Lower Lydbrook are pictured today after major flooding in the area
Paul Hayes ferries children to dry land after their holiday cottage is surrounded by floodwater in Lower Lydbrook today
Paul Hayes ferries children to dry land after their holiday cottage is surrounded by floodwater in Lower Lydbrook today
A police road closure sign is pictured in Lower Lydbrook today after rain from the Welsh hills and high tides flooded the village
A police road closure sign is pictured in Lower Lydbrook today after rain from the Welsh hills and high tides flooded the village
A postbox in a wall is submerged in water today in Lower Lydbrook, a village which sits next to the banks of the River Wye
A postbox in a wall is submerged in water today in Lower Lydbrook, a village which sits next to the banks of the River Wye
Despite the warnings, the country is expected to have some dry and sunny weather today.
In a forecast issued for Monday, the Met Office said: 'Most areas bright with long periods of sunshine, albeit hazy across southern England. Most parts dry, but some showers over northern Scotland and the far east of England.
'Cloudier and windy over Cornwall where rain at times for some.'
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the next couple of days are due to be mostly fine and dry, with sunny days but chilly nights.
He added: 'Thankfully the weather should give areas which have seen large amounts of rain the chance for it to drain away.
'Going into Wednesday it is likely a further weather system will attempt to move in which could bring more heavy rain, particularly across South West England and Wales.'
A dog runs through a frost covered field near Bracknell in Berkshire today after temperatures plunged overnight
A dog runs through a frost covered field near Bracknell in Berkshire today after temperatures plunged overnight
Thick fog covers the landscape over Wimbledon in South West London today on a cold and frosty autumn morning
Thick fog covers the landscape over Wimbledon in South West London today on a cold and frosty autumn morning
Sunrise over Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast in London this morning, as thousands of homes remain at risk of flooding
Sunrise over Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast in London this morning, as thousands of homes remain at risk of flooding
A man and his dog enjoy an early morning walk on Monday on Cothelstone Hill in the Quantock Hills in Somerset today
A man and his dog enjoy an early morning walk on Monday on Cothelstone Hill in the Quantock Hills in Somerset today
Sunrise from the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, where temperatures dipped overnight and produced frost in parts of the UK
Sunrise from the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, where temperatures dipped overnight and produced frost in parts of the UK

Torrential rain on Friday and Saturday caused mayhem across the country, with towns and villages deluged with floodwater.
The downpour saw the entire front of a house in Swansea's Ffynone area collapse, with all the rooms at the front of the property left visible and open to the elements, with rubble littering the area in front.
The flood forecast issued by the Environment Agency yesterday said: 'Local flooding is expected from rivers across parts of the West Midlands today and tomorrow.
'Local flooding from rivers is also probable across other parts of the Midlands and parts of Lincolnshire today and also possible over parts of Yorkshire today and Nottinghamshire tomorrow.
'Local ongoing flooding from the River Severn in the West Midlands is possible through to Tuesday. Land, roads and some individual properties will flood and there will be local travel disruption.'
Powered by Blogger.