BBC NEWS
Floods force thousands from homes
Insurance claims may run into tens of millions
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Three people have died and thousands have been forced from their homes after severe flooding hit England and Wales.
About 900 people are using emergency shelters in Sheffield, and dozens more were evacuated across Lincolnshire, Shropshire and Nottinghamshire.
Hundreds have left villages near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, amid fears the nearby Ulley dam could collapse.
A motorist is also feared to have been washed away in his car by rising water near Pershore, Worcestershire.
Up to 25 severe flood warnings are still in place, but forecasters say the worst of the weather has passed.
Other key developments:
# Police have closed the M1 northbound between junctions 32 to 35, and southbound between junctions 36 and 32, because of the risk the Ulley dam poses
# Rail companies including Virgin Trains, Midland Mainline and Arriva Trains Wales have announced cancellations and amendments to their services
# London Fire Brigade have sent two "high volume pumps" to West Yorkshire to help with the flooding problems
# About 20 houses have been evacuated in Ludlow, Shropshire, after the main bridge into the town collapsed, bursting a gas main
# A block of 120 flats in Lincoln is being evacuated by dinghy because the River Witham has begun seeping through its banks at Stamp End in the city
# People have also been evacuated from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, Lincoln, Louth and Waynefleet in Lincolnshire and Chesterfield in Derbyshire
'Phenomenal' conditions
Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his sympathy to the families of the dead and those displaced by what he described as an "extraordinary and very serious event".
He confirmed that Environment Secretary David Miliband will make a statement to the House of Commons on the floods later.
"The immediate thing is to make sure we get the right co-ordination with the emergency services... and that we try to make sure we prevent any further loss of life," he said.
The Environment Agency labelled current weather conditions "phenomenal".
The agency's flood expert, Phil Rothwell, said: "We've had a sixth of the annual rainfall in 12 hours.
"Climate change experts tell us that this is the sort of thing we need to expect for the future."
There are currently 25 severe flood warnings in place, with 16 in north east England, seven in the east of the country and two in the Midlands.
The Met Office, which forecasts the weather and works closely with the Environment Agency in dealing with floods, had issued an early warning last Friday.
It had correctly predicted that 50-100mm of rain would fall in the 24 hours from 2200 BST on Sunday, with the worst-affected areas being Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Meanwhile, finance chiefs are warning that the floods will cost small businesses millions, and insurers are expecting tens of millions in claims from homeowners.
Washed away
South and East Yorkshire saw some of the heaviest flooding, with thousands of homes left without power and three people dying.
A 68-year-old man was killed after being swept away as he tried to cross a road in central Sheffield.
In a separate incident in the city a 14-year-old boy, named as Ryan Joe Parry, was killed after falling into the River Sheaf at Millhouses.
And 28-year-old Mike Barnett died after becoming trapped in a storm drain in Hull.
He had been trying to help his grandfather clear the flooded drain in the Hessle area.
Hundreds of people have left their homes in the villages of Whiston, Canklow, and Catcliffe and Treeton, amid fears the Ulley dam could collapse.
Buildings and roads were flooded, and trees blown down in Wales.
The Environment Agency has advised people worried about flooding to call its Flood Line on 08459 881 188.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/6239828.stmPublished: 2007/06/26 14:29:37 GMT
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