London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 28, 2026

Storm Dennis: Major incidents declared in south Wales and Herefordshire

Major incidents have been declared in south Wales and parts of England, as Storm Dennis batters the UK.

South Wales Police has been dealing with "multiple" landslides and floods - some trapping residents.

Homes have also been flooded, while police in Worcestershire are searching for a person who is feared to have been swept into the River Teme.

More than 700 flood warnings and alerts are in place across the UK, as of 23:45 GMT on Sunday.

There are currently eight severe flood warnings in England, which mean there is a danger to life.

A record number of flood warnings and alerts were issued for England on Sunday, according to John Curtin, the Environment Agency's head of floods and coastal management - reaching a combined total of 624 by Sunday night.

He said "the saturated ground conditions" left by last weekend's Storm Ciara has "driven" the severe flooding seen across the UK over the past 24 hours.


Heavy rainfall has caused multiple floods and landslides, according to South Wales Police.

Dramatic video footage emerged of a landslide tearing down a mountain in Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales, on Sunday morning.

Jessica Falk Perlman, who is on holiday with her family in Crickhowell, Powys, to celebrate her mother's 60th birthday, told BBC Radio 5 Live that firefighters woke them at 04:00 GMT to tell them they were being evacuated because the River Usk had burst its banks.

But water quickly came flooding into their holiday home, forcing them upstairs and stalling their evacuation.

"The door of our house burst open and water came flooding in right up to the top of the stairs which was quite nerve wracking at the time," she said.

"It's well over the front door of the house, it's flooded all the way up to the ceiling."

Amy Price, 20, said her family were trapped in the upstairs of their home in Llanover, Monmouthshire, because water on the ground floor had reached as high as the light switches.

"The river started rising about 1am and at 3am it started coming into the house," she said.

"We started sweeping the water away and then at 6am the river started coming over the bank."

South Wales Police said emergency services were working with local organisations to ensure the safety of people in communities cut-off by flooding, and to minimise damage and disruption.

Emergency centres have been set up for those who have been displaced.

Assistant chief constable Jennifer Gilmer praised rescue workers' professionalism and advised people "not to panic".

A man's body was recovered from the River Tawe near Trebanos in the Swansea Valley but Dyfed-Powys Police later said his death was not linked to the extreme weather. It is not being treated as suspicious.

West Mercia Police said a man had been rescued from the River Teme close to Eastham Bridge, Worcestershire, and taken to hospital by ambulance but that a woman was still missing.

The search for the woman has been called off until Monday.

Meanwhile, in Herefordshire, the council said it was working with the emergency services, the Environment Agency and health partners to assist residents.

It urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and check on their neighbours, and said "rest centres" are being set up for those who need to be evacuated.

Sarah Bridge, 55, compared Storm Dennis to a tornado and said water had flooded her home in Pontrilas in Herefordshire despite specialist flood doors, reaching her knees.

"It's heartbreaking," she said. "The kitchen is completely flooded, I can hear things floating about downstairs."

A major incident has also been declared after flooding at properties in Lowdham in Nottinghamshire.

Properties were also flooded in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire - and residents were urged to take "extreme care" by the area's Environment Agency manager.

A major incident has been declared by police following flooding in Shropshire.


Severe flood warnings, posing a danger to life, are in place at the Teme river in Ludlow, Shropshire.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News's Sophy Ridge that the UK government was "stepping up its response" to extreme weather conditions.

He said it had put £2.4bn into defences over a six-year spending period up until next year, and would allocate £4bn for the next six-year period.

New Environment Secretary George Eustice denied that the government had been caught off guard by the floods caused by Storm Dennis.

He told Sky News: "We'll never be able to protect every single household just because of the nature of climate change and the fact that these weather events are becoming more extreme, but we've done everything that we can do with a significant sum of money, and there's more to come."

Of the flood warnings, more than 200 apply in England, more than 20 in Wales, and more than 10 in Scotland - where two people had to be rescued after their car was swept off the road near Newcastleton.

In Scotland, the Forth and Tay road bridges have been closed to all traffic.

Winds battered most of Scotland on Sunday with a Met Office warning in place until 11am on Monday.

In York, the Environment Agency has predicted the River Ouse could come close to record levels seen in 2000.


Across the UK road, rail and air travellers also face disruption.

About 170 flights were cancelled on Sunday morning, affecting at least 25,000 passengers.

Storm Dennis caused disruption for 19 train companies, according to National Rail, with routes suspended across south Wales and in parts of England and Scotland.

Highways England said strong winds had closed part of the M48 Severn Bridge eastbound, while flooding closed part of the M54 and A-roads in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire.

Amber warnings for rain and yellow warnings for wind are in place for most of the country into Sunday evening.

This means flooding could cause a danger to life, power cuts are expected and there is a good chance transport links will continue to be impacted.

Wind gusts reached 91mph on Saturday, according to the Met Office.

Also on Saturday:

The Army helped residents shore up flood defences in Ilkley and Calder in West Yorkshire
The body of a man was pulled from the sea off the Kent coast - although Kent Police did not link his death to Storm Dennis
A second body was found by the RNLI after a seven-hour search in "rough seas" for a man who fell from a fuel tanker off the coast of Margate

Last weekend Storm Ciara brought as much as 184mm of rain and gusts reaching 97mph. It also caused hundreds of homes to be flooded and left more than 500,000 people without power.

For more information, check the BBC Weather website and your BBC Local Radio station for regular updates.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Urges Stronger Defence Investment as He Questions Allied Naval Capabilities
New COVID Variant Detected in UK Raises Concerns Over Vaccine Effectiveness
FTSE Russell Moves to Standardise Free-Float Rules for UK and International Listings
HBO Max Launches in UK and Ireland, Marking Major Step in Global Streaming Expansion
UK Signals Readiness to Seize Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Escalating Middle East Conflict Seen as Major Threat to UK Economic Stability
Early Challenges Mark Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit
UK Government Rejects Cover-Up Claims After Theft of Former PM Aide’s Phone
Cyprus Opens Strategic Talks with UK Over Sovereign Base Areas
UK Faces Risk of Sharp Inflation Surge Despite Stable Pre-Crisis Figures
UK Police Arrest Two Over Suspected Antisemitic Arson as Iran Link Investigated
UK Inflation Holds at Three Percent Ahead of Oil Price Shock from Iran Conflict
UK Fuel Prices Face Upward Pressure as Global Oil Trends Raise Cost Outlook
Girlguiding UK Sets September Deadline for Membership Policy Change Affecting Trans Participants
Germany and UK Accelerate Wind Power Expansion to Strengthen Energy Security
UK Moves to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations to Political Parties Over Foreign Influence Concerns
UK and Turkey Finalise Major Air Defence Agreement Worth Billions
Apple Introduces Mandatory Age Verification for iPhone Users in the UK
Diverging Views Emerge Over Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance
Trump Signals Frustration with UK Leadership Amid Diverging Approaches to Iran Conflict
UK Government Takes Control of Hunterston B as Landmark Nuclear Decommissioning Begins
UK Public Inflation Expectations Jump Sharply in March, Raising Pressure on Bank of England
×