Flood warnings in place for east and south of England
Severe weather warnings are in place for many parts of the UK tonight and tomorrow as a storm surge down the North Sea and a tidal surge in the Channel are expected to lead to flooding in some areas.
The surge in the Channel is expected to raise water levels 5ft above normal levels, and residents of north Kent round to Sandwich and Deal are being asked to remain vigilant.
The Dartford Creek and Thames barriers are likely to be closed due to the high water, the EA said.
The organisation’s Ben Vinall said: “We’re not trying to panic people, but we do all need to be vigilant over night and through tomorrow lunch time as we could see some localised flooding around the north Kent coast.
“We expect that most places will come through the night unscathed but it is likely that we will issue Flood Watches along the north Kent coastline tonight with possible Flood Warnings at Sandwich and Deal tomorrow morning.
“We would urge anyone who receives a flood warning to check that their neighbours are aware of the warning. We will also have Environment Agency staff out warning people if the risk of flooding does get worse.”
Meanwhile, the Met Office has said that a combination of north-westerly winds exceeding 50mph, low pressure and high tides could lead to “severe flooding” in the east of England.
Areas at greatest risk are the Broads and the coast south of Great Yarmouth including Lowestoft and Felixstowe, the Met Office said.
“The height of the storm surge we are expecting on Friday morning happens around once every 20 years or so. The gale force winds should ease during tomorrow,” the Met Office’s Stewart Wortley said.
For updates on the flooding situation, visit the EA’s flood warning website .
