Heavy rainfall this week increases flood risk

The Met Office has predicted heavy rainfall across the South East for the next few days, with Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire set to see increased rainfall throughout the week - with the heaviest expected on Friday (Feb 1).
With river levels already swollen, following a thaw of recent snow and ice, and groundwater levels saturated, the Environment Agency (EA) has warned residents to take action to reduce the risks of any flooding - particularly across Berkshire and Hampshire.
Alison Baptiste, the EA’s Flood and Coastal Risk Manager, said EA officers were checking flood defences, clearing river blockages and monitoring river levels, adding:
“Now is a good time for anyone who lives in an area vulnerable to flooding to think about the precautions they can take to protect their properties, and I would encourage everybody to check their flood risk at the Environment Agency website and keep up to date on warnings.”
According to the EA, flood alerts were affecting the rivers Thames, Lambourn, Kennet and Pang with flooding in the Lambourn valley catchment area and tankers ferrying water away in Great Shefford and Lambourn this week (pictured).
Flood alerts were in place on the River Lambourn and tributaries, from Lambourn to Shaw, including Eastbury, East Garston, Welford, Easton, Boxford, Woodspeeen, Bagnor, Donnington, Great Shefford stream and Winterbourne on the Winterbourne stream, also on the River Kennet and its tributaries, from Berwick Bassett down to Newbury.
Groundwater flooding continues in the Lambourn Valley catchment and was also affecting West and East Ilsley and Compton.
Flood alerts were also in place on the River Thames from Pangbourne to Purley and from Days Lock to above Pangbourne, including Goring and Streatley, also on the River Pang, from East Ilsley to Pangbourne and Sulham Brook.
The EA provides a free of charge 24-hour flood warning service, sign up telephoning 0845 988 1188 or visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood.
Flood guidance is updated every 15 minutes by the EA at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31618.aspx.
Follow the EA on Twitter at @EnvAgencySE. For Met Office forecasts/warnings visit www.metoffice.gov.uk/ or on Twitter at @metoffice and Facebook at www.facebook.com/metoffice.