No sign of let-up in UK flood crisis

Widespread flooding in the UK is now threatening fresh water supplies in some regions, as large areas of the country remain under water. Rescue helicopters are searching for people stranded in their homes while food parcels are being delivered to some communities cut off by the flood water.

Those residents living close to swollen rivers or low-lying ground are trying to protect their homes as best they can. The worst affected regions are in western and central England. In the town of Tewkesbury, thousands of people have spent a second night in temporary shelters. As the weekend of misery continues, criticism is being levelled at the Labour government.

Conservative opposition leader David Cameron said: “Locally, things are coordinated well, but nationally, we need a far better response. We have had dozens of statements from different policy areas from the prime minister in the last few weeks. I think he has got to focus on the fact that this is the biggest problem facing our country.”

But the UK is not the only European country suffering from dreadful weather conditions. In Germany, torrential rain has hit Bavaria in the south. With water levels rising to one and a half metres, one elderly woman died after being trapped in her basement flat.

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