Flood warnings remain as wet weather continues

Flood warnings remain in place across England and Wales, amid ongoing weather warnings and icy roads in Scotland.

It comes as a West Highland road was closed after a landslide and a rare landslide and rockfall warning was issued for south-west England by the British Geological Survey.

Fire crews say they have prevented flood water damaging an electrical substation near Reading, in Berkshire.

Power cuts in Reading and south Oxfordshire may have been averted.

Some 40,000 properties in the area were in danger of losing power.

The Environment Agency has more than 100 flood warnings and more than 210 flood alerts in place in England and Wales. There are no flood warnings in Scotland.

In other developments:

• Forecasters have predicted that wet weather is set to continue until at least Friday, potentially bringing further flooding to parts of the UK

• The closure of the A890 at Stromeferry, in West Highlands, on Christmas Day due to a landslide has led to a diversion for drivers of almost 150 miles

• Thirteen families have been advised to leave their homes after a landslip at Ystalyfera, in the upper Swansea valley.

The British Geological Survey (BGS), along with other agencies, feeds information into the Hazard Warning Centre at the Met Office in Exeter.

The South West Coastal Path, which covers most of the Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset coasts, runs through areas which are potentially at risk.

The BGS has concerns about the stability of cliffs because of recent heavy rain.

And amid fears for walkers, it urges extra caution near cliff edges.

The Met Office said an area of heavy rain would move across the country during the day. It said that given the continuing saturated state of the ground this may lead to further localised flooding.

BBC weather forecaster Jay Wynne said Friday will see the western half of Britain experience gale force winds and heavy rain later in the day, with weather warnings extending from the South West to the North West.

This weekend will be windy everywhere with some heavy rain, the heaviest being in southern England and Wales, he added.

The Environment Agency has said many places will stay on flood alert despite a slight easing of weather conditions.

Met Office figures suggest 2012 is set to be one of the wettest years since records began in 1910.

Before December, the average rainfall for the year so far was 1,202mm - placing it 13th in the list of wettest years.

Due to the deluge of rain in the run up to Christmas, forecasters say 2012 is now likely to finish with one of the highest rainfall totals on record.

The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337mm.

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