Storms: UK Braced For More Flooding And Chaos

A violent storm brewing in the Atlantic has brought more flooding and travel chaos as Britain returned to work after the Christmas holidays.

Forecasters warned gusts of up to 70mph will hit western coasts, while officials around the country urged people to remain vigilant and to stay away from high-risk areas with high waves crashing on to land.

A rock fall in Porthcothan Bay, Cornwall

As winds whipped up rough seas in the Atlantic, there were fears of further coastal flooding with 10-metre-high waves potentially striking southwest England, Wales and western Scotland.

Aberystwyth seafront - including 600 rooms of the university's student halls of residence facing the beach - was evacuated before the high tide as more strong winds approached.

A severe flood warning is in place near Bournemouth

Sky's Mike McCarthy, at the scene, said: "It does look as though the worst predictions are being realised. We have seen waves bringing rocks and stones forward over the fencing."

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The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning "be aware" - for heavy rain, along with hail and thunder, in southern and western parts of Scotland, across Northern Ireland, north Wales, northwest and northeast England and the South.

Harry Martin went missing in the storms

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in higher ground.

With the ground saturated already following recent storms, the Environment Agency (EA) has issued one severe flood warning - near Bournemouth, Dorset - and more than 320 flood warnings and alerts covering every region in England and Wales.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 32 flood warnings and alerts in place.

Environment Secretary was in Maidenhead to inspect the town's flood defences and reiterated the Government's commitment to expand schemes to protect homes and businesses.

He said: "It is absolutely awful being flooded and I really do offer my real sympathies to those that have been flooded. It is really shocking for young families and terribly disruptive for businesses.

This is the latest storm front to hit Britain

"I can reassure those people we are determined to carry on long-term flood schemes. We will be spending £2.3bn in the course of this parliament. We have an even more ambitious programme going up to 2020, and over time, we will protect over 165,000 properties during this period and a further 300,000 up to 2020."

The EA has urged communities in Dorset and Oxfordshire to prepare for "significant flooding" in the lower reaches of the Thames, Dorset Stour and Frome rivers.

More flooding is expected on the Somerset Levels and rivers in the South East, including the Severn, remain "very high" after recent rainfall.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson inspects flood defences in Maidenhead

The EA said some 220 properties have been flooded so far, miles of coastline battered and roads and fields across the country left under water.

The severe weather has already taken its toll on the transport network and more disruption is expected for commuters with roads closed and trains delayed or cancelled in areas.

First Great Western warned passengers there was a risk to services in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset.

Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

The scene where the man on his mobility scooter fell into the river

And with hail providing an additional hazard, driving conditions are expected to be difficult too with the RAC expecting Monday to be one of the busiest days of the year for breakdowns, with 11,000 call-outs expected.

Residents in Wales are bracing themselves for more flooding and damage after the worst storms in 15 years battered the coastline on Friday.

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "As the UK returns to work after the Christmas and New Year holidays, some travel disruption is likely on Britain's roads and railways.

A yellow warning has been issued for the whole of west Britain

"Also, there's likely to be more flooding, with coastal areas at greatest risk as winds gust up to 70mph in the West.

"The storm system out in the Atlantic has whipped up the sea creating a large swell which is heading towards us early on Monday morning, so that combined with strong winds could cause flooding at high tide.

"The spring tides are past their peak now, but the high-tide waters are still likely to cause concern."

Tewkesbury is underwater due to floods again

The weather conditions that brought misery over the festive period continued to prove treacherous at the weekend - with a 47-year-old man becoming the third person to die in the storms.

The unnamed victim died when his mobility scooter fell into the swollen River Thames at Osney Lock, Oxford, at 6.30pm on Saturday.

A search is continuing for missing 18-year-old student Harry Martin, who was last seen leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, on Thursday afternoon to take photos of the storms.

A 27-year-old man from Surrey was found on Porthleven Sands beach in Cornwall after he was swept out to sea on New Year's Eve night and a woman died after being rescued from the sea in Croyde Bay, north Devon.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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