HUNDREDS OF TROOPS have been deployed in the United Kingdom to tackle severe flooding in many areas.
Although some 177 flood warnings have been removed over the past 24 hours, more than 200 remain in place this morning.
This includes 27 ‘severe flood warnings’, which authorities say could create life-threatening conditions.
British media reports this morning that British prime minister David Cameron is due to visit some of the worst affected regions later today.
Cameron said the flooding is “unprecedented” and vowed to do everything possible to protect people and their property as the damage spread to the major cities York, Leeds and Manchester.
Weeks of persistent rainfall have saturated the ground and swollen the rivers to record levels, leaving entire swathes of northern England, and smaller parts of Wales and Scotland, vulnerable.
There have been no fatalities or serious injuries reported, but hundreds of people have been evacuated from houses and apartments in York, 320 kilometres north of London, where 3,500 properties are judged to be at risk.
Emergency crews worked extra shifts to try to restore power to roughly 7,500 blacked out homes in the greater Manchester and Lancashire areas.
The Guardian reports that another 1,000 military personnel are on “standby”, on top of the 500 currently deployed, if conditions worsen.
Further heavy rain is expected from today through to Wednesday.
The same is expected closer to home. Further flooding along the Shannon is considered inevitable, with Met Éireann saying that rainfall amounts between today and Wednesday will range between 30 and 60mm in many areas.
In its most recent update yesterday afternoon, Limerick City and County Council said water levels along the Lower River Shannon at Castleconnell, Montpelier, Mountshannon Road (Lisnagry) and in the Limerick City area had risen around 100mm over two days.
However, this is still 275mm lower than their peak on 13 December.
Additional reporting by Nicky Ryan
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