Summary

  • Our live coverage has now concluded

  • A yellow weather warning for snow and ice and 36 flood warnings are in place across the West Midlands

  • Dozens of schools have closed due to the weather conditions

  • Motorists have been warned not to drive into flood water, and not to ignore road closure signs

  • More than 1,500 properties are without power across the region

  • 'Thigh-deep' flood water has trapped residents in one Warwickshire village

Live Reporting

By Chloe Hughes and Alex McIntyre

  1. End of live coverage

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    A snow-covered village with houses and cars either side of a road, which is covered in melted snow. Trees can be scene in the background as the road curves to the left.

    We are going to end our live coverage here, thank you for joining us.

    Here is a round-up of what has happened today:

    • There has been widespread travel disruption across the West Midlands and south Cheshire due to heavy snow and rain
    • Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said it received a high number of calls involving vehicles in flood water with several roads closed in the area, including the A49 which has since reopened
    • A number of schools were shut across south Cheshire and Staffordshire due to safety concerns resulting from the heavy snowfall overnight
    • Flooding caused several rail services to be cancelled or delayed, with a closure in place between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon
    • Properties were also affected by flooding in Wolston, Warwickshire. Resident Shân Dobinson told BBC CWR that she was stranded upstairs due to water entering her home

  2. Hospitals deploy 4x4s to help staff

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    Bosses at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said the conditions had made it difficult for staff and patients to get to Stafford's County Hospital and the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

    Dr Mark Poulson, deputy chief medical officer at the trust, told BBC Radio Stoke: “We had to support staff getting into hospital by using 4x4s - sending them out to help bring them in."

    He said they had done what they could to make the hospitals themselves safe for patients, including making sure the sites were clear of snow.

    “It’s been a difficult morning but services have continued as normal," he added.

  3. Man stranded in Coventry floodwater

    Chloe Hughes
    BBC News

    The bonnet of a car is visible in the foreground, and there is brown water covering the entirety of a road. At the end there are three vehicles that have stopped where the water begins. There are hedges on either side of the road with a green field visible on the right.John Mcmellion

    John Mcmellion said he would be without help until the water subsided

    John Mcmellion from Stourport said he has been left stranded without food or drink in floodwater, after his company van broke down.

    He came to a halt on Balsall Street, Coventry, after he said another car drove through the water opposite him and flooded his engine.

    “I’m in a transit van and it’s up to the door,” he told BBC Radio CWR.

    “The police have been out to see me and say they can’t do anything about it."

    He added that the company that own the van said they could not help until the water had subsided.

    The side of a van in flood water. The door is open and there is brown water up to the bottom of the door.John Mcmellion

    John said he did not bring a coat, food or drink in his van

    “I didn’t pick a coat up today, I wasn't expecting to be stuck anywhere."

    Describing the scene around him, he said: "I’ve got the River Blythe on my left that I can see is flowing quite freely, and then I’ve got fields on my right with big puddles on, and water just flowing straight off it."

    "If I actually knew the county well I might’ve chosen a different road."

  4. How to be ready for flooding

    Tanya Gupta
    BBC News

    A wooden dining table with chairs stacked on top of it. Two of the table's legs have been placed in wellies and the other two in plastic bucketsFlood Mary

    Ahead of expected flooding last year, we looked at some of the things you can do to prepare for flooding and protect your home.

    You can find the full story here, but we have included some of the key points below.

    Aluminium tape can be used on air bricks in outside walls to hold back water if people do not have self-closing ones or covers.

    Kitchen tables can be protected by standing the legs in welly boots and buckets.

    Dry food should be kept safe in plastic, lidded boxes.

    Homeowners should also make sure their insurance cover is adequate.

    The Environment Agency advised: "Getting ready before a flood saves you money on recovery and time spent out of the property."

    It said planning ahead for flooding was straightforward, quick and free and people should draw up a "personal flood plan" to keep themselves and their vital possessions safe.

    Local resilience forums also help people to prepare.

    Be prepared for evacuations and have a grab bag ready containing medication, forms of ID, cash, bank cards , passports, details of prescriptions

  5. Your photos from around the region

    Chloe Hughes
    BBC News

    As snow and heavy rainfall has caused disruption across the West Midlands today, here are some photos sent in to BBC Weather Watchers from across the region.

    The right hand side of a car that is covered in snow. In the background, a lawn, tree and hedge are all covered in snow.Les at Large

    Snow in Wolverhampton this morning

    A field with green grass and brown leafless trees has patches of flooding that span across itGrindle

    Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham

    Brown flood water is going across a small bridge and onto a road. There is a car in the distance driving through it.saradunnphotography

    Flooding in Withybrook, Warwickshire

    A snow covered road and snow falling from the sky. There are rows of houses on either side of the street, as well as a row of cars on either side. The cars are covered in snow.Adam

    Snow falling in Smethwick early this morning

  6. Wettest January day in Coventry since 1892

    Chloe Hughes
    BBC News

    Steve Jackson, from Bablake weather station in Coventry, said yesterday was the wettest January day ever recorded in the city.

    Their records go back to 1892, he told the BBC, describing it as a "weather phenomenon" that was "very unusual" due to rapidly fluctuating temperatures.

    "During the evening, temperatures shot up from two degrees in the afternoon to almost 12 degrees in just a couple of hours," he said.

    "This warm air pushed up from the south, and where it met the cold air that was just to the north of us over Leicester, we had torrential rain overnight.

    "At 3 o'clock in the morning it was 11 degrees, by four o'clock it was back down to four [degrees]."

  7. A49 reopens after flooding

    The A49 in Herefordshire has reopened following its earlier closure, National Highways has confirmed.

    The road had been shut in both directions between the A4112 in Stockton and the A44 in Leominster because of flooding caused by the heavy rainfall.

  8. Snow falls across Staffordshire

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    A view over the countryside covered in snow. A child can be seen petting a pony next to a wall in the foreground.

    The snow fell in the village of Mow Cop on Monday

    Parts of Staffordshire have been affected by heavy snowfall, causing schools to close and a number of roads to be blocked across the county.

    Police previously warned drivers to take extra care in the wintry conditions as temperatures dropped to below freezing.

    Motorists were urged to clear ice and snow from vehicles before travelling and to maintain extra distance from others on the roads to allow for extra breaking time.

    “Don’t start driving until the windscreen is fully defrosted and avoid driving altogether if weather conditions are extreme,” added Scott McGrath, from Staffordshire Police’s road crime team.

    A snow-covered village with a road going through it. The road has tyre marks on it and melted snow. Trees can be seen in the distance with houses and parked cars either side of the road.

    Drivers were warned of difficult road conditions, including in Endon, Staffordshire

  9. Mood in town is 'grim' - business owner

    Tom Edwards
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Nina Roberts runs HALO hair salon just metres away from the Kyre Brook in Tenbury Wells, where water is getting high.

    All that is separating the brook from the streets is a wall of sandbags, due to the actual wall collapsing because of floods in November.

    Ms Roberts said the mood in the town was "grim".

    "I've got flood defences on my shop that we've bought, but we need a wall," she said.

    She told the BBC that flooding had a huge impact on people like her.

    "You have to keep replacing things all the time and those things are expensive. I haven't got any insurance for floods."

    "Last time, really, we probably would've escaped it, hadn't it been for the fact that the tractor drove through... that was catastrophic really."

    "I haven't got a window, still, which I've got to pay for this week."

  10. We're all on tenterhooks - Tenbury Wells trader

    Tom Edwards
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A brown brook is flowing with trees and bushed on either side of it. On the right had side in the foreground is a wall, while behind it there is a bank which has a makeshift wall of white sandbags piled up.

    The Kyre Brook in Tenbury Wells, with the wall of sandbags visible in the background

    Gary Thompson runs Mr Thom's sweet shop in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, where a barrier of sandbags is in place by the Kyre Brook, after a wall collapsed during flooding in November.

    "It's always scary when you see the brook as high as it is," he said.

    "We’ve had a real surge of water coming through, along with the snow that’s melted as well."

    A makeshift wall of white sandbags piled up in front of a brook which is brown. There are bushes and shrubbery either side of the water, which runs into the distance near some buildings

    The bags were put up after a wall near the brook collapsed in November due to flooding

    He said the usual level for the brook was about 0.5m and that earlier today it had been sitting at more than 2m.

    "We’re all looking over the temporary wall," he told the BBC.

    "Whether it’s going to actually provide any protection for any businesses, I very much doubt."

  11. Ducks pictured playing in the snow

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    Three ducks standing in the snow in a fenced garden area. They are standing in the foreground with a small triangular duck house behind them.Mark Sykes

    South Cheshire was hit by heavy snowfall in the early hours of Monday morning, forcing a number of schools to close, including Brine Leas and Malbank in Nantwich.

    This picture taken by Mark Sykes shows three ducks enjoying the snow outside their duck house in a back garden of a property near the town.

  12. More than 1,500 homes without power

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    About 1,550 homes across the West Midlands have been left without power during the cold and wet weather this morning, according to National Grid.

    The company reported various issues in the region, including faults and blown fuses, though none were confirmed to have been caused by the conditions.

    About 304 properties in Wychbold, Worcestershire, lost power earlier due to a fault on the overhead network, which was due to be resolved at about 15:00 GMT.

    In Erdington, Birmingham, 172 homes were left without electricity in the B24 area because of a blown fuse, though the National Grid said the issue was due to be resolved early this afternoon.

    There were also outages at 290 properties in the Woodcross area of Wolverhampton, caused by a fault on the network which was expected to be fixed by 17:30.

  13. Downed tree in Kenilworth ford

    Chloe Hughes
    BBC News

    A large tree has fallen into an expanse of brown flood water, and is blocking a road.Kenilworth and Warwick Rural Police

    A tree has fallen into the Kenilworth ford, blocking the road completely

    Kenilworth and Warwick Rural Police shared this image of a tree completely blocking the road to and from Kenilworth.

    It said the ford was up by 3ft (0.91m), and the council had been informed, but that it was on a "long list" of trees down in the county.

    An expanse of brown flood water on a road. A white van is attempting to drive through it while another car rounds the corner to also attempt to drive through the water.Warwickshire Police

    Earlier, cars were seen trying to drive through the ford

    An earlier image showed vehicles attempting to drive through the water in the same spot.

    Warwickshire Police said it had responded to several reports of cars stuck in flood water this morning, and asked motorists to avoid driving through standing water.

  14. Flooding and snow affecting drivers

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    A car goes around a corner on a snow-covered rural road, with the adjacent hedge, field and surrounding trees also covered in snow. A warning sign is also visible on the left.Kibbo, BBC Weather Watcher

    A number of roads across the West Midlands have been affected by flooding and snow this morning.

    Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said it was taking a high number of calls involving vehicles in flood water.

    Among the roads shut were the A449 southbound near Worcester and the A49 in Herefordshire between A44 Mill Street in Leominster and the A4112 in Stockton.

    The A44 Evesham Road in Worcestershire was also reported to be impassable due to flooding between Fladbury Hill, Fladbury, and Chadbury Road, Chadbury.

    In Staffordshire, the A53 at Gravelly Hill near Newcastle-under-Lyme was impassable due to snow, according to travel service INRIX, while flooding has also closed the A522 in both directions near Upper Tean.

    Warwickshire Police said a stretch of the A46 was shut in both directions due to flooding.

    The northbound section was shut at Sherbourne and Longbridge, while the southbound section was shut from Stanks to prevent traffic entering.

  15. 'Thigh-deep' flood water traps Wolston residents

    Shân Dobinson, who lives in Wolston in Warwickshire, said she was stranded upstairs in her house due to the flooding downstairs.

    "It's now thigh-deep where our cars were," she said.

    "We can't get in or out, we're totally stranded. We're still waiting for sandbags, the fire service are here but there's nothing they can do – and all our electrics have gone as well."

    She's one of several locals hit by flooding to speak to BBC CWR this morning.

    Multiple areas of Coventry and Warwickshire are affected by floods, BBC CWR reports

    It is just almost precisely a year since properties in the village were heavily damaged by flooding brought by Storm Henk.

    On Friday, Ms Dobinson told the BBC she had feared such a flood happening again.

  17. Concerns for brook in Tenbury Wells

    Tom Edwards
    Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

    A row of white sandbags is piled up just above the bank of a brook. The water in the brook is high and brown. The bank is covered in green and brown weeds and plants with a large bush in the background.

    Oddly enough, the sun has been out in Tenbury Wells in the last few minutes. But, it's been raining here pretty constantly since yesterday afternoon.

    The concern here is the Kyre Brook - which burst its banks, caused a wall to collapse, and subsequently flooded 25 shops in the town in November.

    There's a row of white sandbags piled on top of one another that's meant to be serving as a temporary flood protector until the wall can be rebuilt or replaced.

    The water in the brook is high, and of course it's a few metres away from all those traders that flooded so badly before Christmas.

  18. Some rail disruption cleared

    Alex McIntyre
    BBC News

    Some railway lines that were disrupted by the weather have since returned to normal.

    This includes the line between Kidderminster and Worcester Shrub Hill, which West Midlands Railway said had been affected by a "line issue".

    Flooding had also closed the route between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill but the operator reported the line had reopened at about 08:00 GMT.

  19. Do not drive through water - fire service

    A vehicle travelling through flood water, with hedgerows visible either side of the road.Wendy Hatfield

    Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said its teams were taking a high number of calls involving vehicles in flood water.

    They asked people not to drive into flood water, and not to ignore road closure signs.

  20. Weather causing rail disruption

    Flooding between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon has led to some trains being cancelled or altered.

    Replacement buses are in operation for West Midlands Railway services between Dorridge and Stratford-upon-Avon.

    The disruption is expected to last until midday, according to National Rail.