Lee village in Devon left stranded by flash floods caused by Storm Angus – as missing man’s car is found

DRAMATIC pictures show a Devon village left stranded by flash floods caused by Storm Angus.

Deep rainwater fills the streets, coming up as high as windows in some parts of Lee, near Ilfracombe in Devon.

Firefighters were called to help after heavy rainfall over the past two days led to cars becoming stuck on flooded roads.

Home Lane in the village was said to be blocked near the Coast Road junction due to floods, while there was also a reported hole in the road near the village hall.

Locals say the situation is now finally under full control after two days of weather chaos.

The incredible pictures come as police hunting for a missing pensioner feared to have been swept away by Storm Angus three days ago found his car.

Russell Sherwood, from Neath in south Wales, hasn't been seen since Sunday.

South Wales Police said the hunt for Russell has been stood down due to "treacherous conditions", but will resume tomorrow morning.

Police say they are keeping the OAP's family "fully informed" of developments and are being supported by specially trained officers.

It comes after police earlier found a car bumper apparently belonging to Russell, who is thought to have been washed away in a swollen river as torrential rain lashed Britain.

More than 100 ferry passengers and crew have been stranded in the choppy Irish Sea for almost 24 hours, while roads and rail lines were closed, homes flooded, schools shut and motorists rescued from submerged cars.

And there was further havoc this morning as the main cross-Pennine railway from Sheffield to Manchester was closed due to flooding as felled trees.

Today a woman aged 39 died in hospital after being plucked out of the stormy seas near Dover by Coastguard helicopter after she disappeared from Folkestone harbour around 7am.

Rescuers have resumed the search for Russell Sherwood, 69, who went missing on Sunday morning as he drove from his home in Neath, South Wales, to pick up his wife in Bridgend.

The weather halted the search last night but today a helicopter joined teams as they continued scouring the River Ogmore and around the A48 near where his silver Ford Focus was last seen.

But hopes of finding him alive faded as police revealed they had pulled his car bumper and a number plate from storm waters.

Last night floodwater flowed through homes in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, after a stream burst its banks and raced through a number of houses and out the down stairs and windows.

Some residents were trapped in their homes and had to be rescued by firefighters.

There was also flooding in nearby Mossley, where a determined resident put two plastic bags on his feet and waded to his weekly pool match at the New Bridge Inn.

The North took a battering from Storm Angus yesterday evening after severe flooding earlier hit the South West and Wales.

Tameside and Oldham were some of the worst-hit areas, with three inches of rain falling up to 7pm.

Oldham Council warned residents to avoid Well-I-Hole Bridge as it is "in danger of collapse".

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had 230 calls in five hours on Monday evening, while West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received more than 70 calls about flooding.

North Yorkshire Fire Service said it rescued eight people from cars on Monday evening, as crews were called out to 22 flooding incidents.

Meanwhile the North East coast was battered by monster waves as the raging winds joined forces with a high tide.

Walkers were warned to keep their distance as a photographer captured one crashing wave that dwarfed the 33ft lighthouse at Seaham, County Durham.

Inland, a BMW taxi was stranded in a flooded street in Gateshead after the region was lashed by two inches of rain overnight.

And residents in Rothbury, Northumberland, are on flood alert as the River Coquet continues to rise.

Some 65 flood warnings are still in place across the South West, the Midlands, North East, North West, Wales and the East of England.

A further 212 flood alerts were issued across England and Wales by the Environment Agency.

This morning winds of 70mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight as forecasters warned the continuing stormy weather would lead to more travel disruption.

Arriva Trains Wales, Cross Country, East Midlands Trains, Great Western Railway, Northern, South West Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast and the TransPennine Express are among the services to have been hit, according to Network Rail.

Flooding has forced the shut down or partial closure of lines running to Exeter St Davids and Taunton, Shrewsbury and Hereford, the Vale of Glamorgan Line heading to Cardiff Airport, Liskeard and Looe, Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple along with Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

A Stena Line ferry with 87 passengers and 59 crew will try again to dock at midday today after a night in howling gales.

It left Wexford in Ireland at 9am on Monday and was due to arrive at Fishguard in Wales at 12.30pm.

However the ship could not safely reach the port and a docking attempt later in the day also failed.

Last night around ten cars were stranded in thick snow in the North Pennines - on the B2677 near Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, and on the A689 near Nenthead, Cumbria.

Others were stuck on the A686 near the Hartside Top Cafe, 1,904ft up on a mountain pass in the North Pennines.

Many railway lines were closed by the flooding yesterday leading to long delays on many routes in the South West.

There were two-hour queues to get on remaining trains at Bristol Temple Meads, while hundreds of other passengers at London Paddington were frustrated by cancelled trains heading West from the capital.

Routes from London to Bristol, Devon and Cornwall were blocked as a result of the heavy rain

Great Western Railway (GWR) advised commuters not to travel owing to the "severe flooding at a number of separate locations" across their network.

A spokesman said the mainline route into Devon and Cornwall was blocked at two separate locations, as well as the mainline route between London and Bristol Temple Meads - significantly affecting their services.

Services between London Paddington and Cardiff were also disrupted, and CrossCountry trains also said a number of their lines were blocked because of flooding.

Commuters were also advised by TransPennine Express "not to travel unless absolutely necessary" owing to the disruption caused by the flooding.

A spokesman for Network Rail, which manages Britain's rail infrastructure, said flooding had affected people travelling in and around parts of Wales and the West of England.

There were also reports of people being helped from their vehicles. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said two people were "assisted from a vehicle" on the B3109 in South Wraxall.

An elderly woman was also believed to have frozen to death in her garden and three men were left in hospital after a bin lorry overturned in high winds on the M27 as Storm Angus brought more chaos to Britain.

In Carmarthenshire, Wales, police said a man was helped from a van which had become trapped in flood water before it was "washed away".

A man was also rescued from a car stuck in flood water near Frome, Somerset, said Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said in the hours between 5am and 5pm on Monday, 48mm of rain fell in Brendon Hill in North Devon, 35mm fell in Bristol, 48.6mm in Pennerley, Shropshire, and 49.4 in Tafolog, Monmouthshire.

"The heaviest and more persistent rain is clearing northeastwards, so it will affect southern and eastern parts of Scotland through tonight and early tomorrow morning," he added.

"But behind all the rain across the rest of the UK there is a lot of showers and some of these heavy and thundery at times - these will gradually clear as we go through tomorrow. It will be a better day, but it is still going to be quite windy."

He said there are wind warnings for the North and North West England, valid from 9pm until 6am, and a warning for the South Coast from Hampshire eastwards valid from 1am to 9am, in place.

Mr Burkill said across the south coast gusts of between 50-60mph could be seen with up to 70-80mph on the most exposed coastal parts, with 50-60mph expected in the North East with up 70mph on the highest grounds.

"Even though the worst of the rain is clearing northwards, we have still got some pretty strong winds to deal with which will likely cause some further problems," he added.

The Environment Agency warned the forecast of "widespread heavy rain and showers" will affect "most parts of England over the next 36 hours" and could cause more flooding.

Clare Dinnis, national flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Environment Agency teams are working hard to reduce the risk of flooding, but we want to remind people not to take unnecessary risks and avoid driving through flood water or walking near swollen rivers.

"People should also take care if walking by the coast as there is a risk of large waves caused by strong and gale force winds."

Devon County Council said 14 schools were shut owing to flooding and in Somerset schools were closed due to "weather related" problems, Somerset County Council said on its website.

Meanwhile forecasters warned a shift in the polar climate could have us shivering in the coldest UK winter for more than five years.

Sunday saw the coldest night of season so far with -9.8C at Loch Glascarnoch, in the Scottish Highlands.

And experts say a "weak Polar vortex"; - a massive swirl of cold air at the Pole - could lead to a sudden change in wind direction, sending freezing Arctic air blowing down through Britain.

Some forecaster now reckon this year could be worse than the Big Freeze of 2010/11 when heavy snowfall and record low temperatures crippled parts of the country.

Exacta Weather's James Madden said the first real taste of winter could be just a few weeks away.

He said: “There is the risk of a snow event during the final part of November and early December in some parts to the north of the country to start the meteorological winter.

“This will then pave the way for exceptional cold and snowfall in December particularly during the second half of the month.

“It is plausible on our current indications that temperatures will fall suddenly and significantly within this period."