Woman rescued from floodwaters as Britain braces for more bad weather - The Guardian

A woman spent almost an hour clinging to a tree in the middle of a fast-flowing flooded river before a police helicopter spotted her in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The swollen waters had swept the unnamed woman from her car and she was fighting to stay afloat when the Devon and Cornwall police helicopter saw her.

Rescued by a RNLI lifeboat, she was treated for exposureThe woman was then reunited with a man and a child who had been trapped in the car when the River Taw broke its banks and had been rescued by firefighters.

The dramatic rescue came as forecasters predicted more rain would fall in the next few days: 165 flood warnings were in place across all regions of England – as well as in Wales.

The wet but warm weather has led to dozens of people being moved to emergency shelters, with more warned they too could be forced to leave their homes to escape the rising floodwaters.

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for rain on Christmas Day, covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset.

Rail services warned that trains were so badly affected that many of those hoping to travel to see friends and family for Christmas must expect considerable disruption. Those using the First Great Western rail service have been told not to make "non-essential" journeys.

Scotland has had 30 flood warnings, with Perthshire, Tayside, and Angus particularly badly affected. And significant flooding in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, has led to about 60 people being relocated and a reception centre being set up at Mackie Academy.

There were warnings of high winds on the Forth Road Bridge, while gusts of up to 70mph were expected on Shetland. Ferry services to the Northern Isles were suspended due to strong winds.

In Devon and Cornwall, where one severe warning remains in place, those already struggling against the deluge are braced for further disruption with forecasters predicting wetter weather returning to central and southern parts of the country overnight.

In Cornwall, where 120 properties were flooded when the River Cober broke its banks on Saturday, another band of bad weather is expected from Sunday evening into the early hours of Monday, bringing with it an estimated 10-20mm of rain.

At least 20 residents were moved to safety in Stoke Canon, north of Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks. The Environment Agency said that although the river level was dropping, it was "keeping a close eye on the situation as more rain is expected later".

Residents in Pilton, north Devon, have been warned they may have to be evacuated if floodwater from the River Yeo reaches their homes. Emergency accommodation is being provided at Pilton Community College.

In nearby Braunton, the River Caen breached its banks for a second night. The Braunton Academy had been opened as an evacuation assembly point.

Floods forced the suspension of rail services between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway. A plastic dam placed across the railway line at Exeter to control the damage was itself under water.

In Wales there was a limited train service between Cardiff Central and Bridgend after an earlier suspension. The service between Machynlleth and Caersws remained suspended.