Flooding: Clean-up continues across Wales

The clean-up is continuing across parts of Wales following Thursday's torrential rain and gales that saw homes flooded and motorists stranded.

Rest centres were opened at Llandudno Junction, Caernarfon and Bangor overnight after drivers on the A55 in north-west Wales abandoned their cars.

Flash flooding hit scores of properties in Snowdonia, while winds of up to 90mph battered south-west Wales.

Residents are now counting the cost of the damage.

Betty Owen, of Llanberis District Club, said flooding there had left the premises "worse than a mess".

"It's not just the water itself, it's the mud that's involved as well," she said while cleaning up the club.

"It was really bad and just pouring down from the streets in the village and some of them are quite high.

"And it was just coming down to the bottom here, and there was nowhere for it to go."

Community councillor Emlyn Baylis said the speed of the flooding had shocked villagers.

"What is so upsetting is to see people's houses flooded. It's heartbreaking really," he said.

"We've got two brand new cafes in the village and they have both been flooded out.

"There's a lot of work cleaning up now, it's a pity to see - some of these people are in tears really."

Gwynedd council issued advice to residents affected by flooding, including the need to exercise caution when cleaning up as the water may be contaminated.

On Thursday, drivers on the A55 were left stranded for several hours after flooding blocked the dual carriageway near Bangor.

North Wales Police were carrying out a further detailed examination of the road with the aim of fully reopening it as soon as practicable.

Train services between Bangor and Holyhead were suspended after flooding on tracks near Bodorgan on Anglesey.

Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin trains were continuing to terminate trains at Gaerwen.

In Llanberis, an estimated 100 properties were hit by a flash flood on Thursday afternoon, after the Afon Goch burst its banks above the village, sending a surge of water down the hillside and into the main street.

Homes, cafes, and a doctor's surgery were left under several feet of water.

Christopher Jones starts the clean-up at the Llanberis District Club after the village was hit by flash flooding

Homes were also hit in the Snowdonia villages of Rhosgadfan and Rhostryfan, above Caernarfon.

Chris Hughes, a Gwynedd councillor who lives in Rhostryfan, said the flooding hit within minutes.

"It happened ever so quickly. It was a torrent of rain, rivers running down the road," he said.

"I've been living in the village since 2007 and I certainly haven't seen anything of this magnitude."

River rescue

Elsewhere in Wales, gale force winds battered parts of Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

In one major incident, the coastguard, firefighters, police helicopter and an RAF Sea King helicopter were involved in the rescue of a driver trapped in her car in deep, fast-flowing water in a swollen river at St Clears, Carmarthenshire.

Her car had been washed from a ford near the Waunbricks Kennels and swept 100m downstream at about 16:15 GMT.

Firefighters managed to get a line to her and she was hauled to safety before she was taken to Glangwili Hospital by road.

Five people were also taken to hospital after a car was flipped over by strong winds in Pembrokeshire.

The stationary car was thrown against the front of a branch of Barclays bank on Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven, just before midday, Dyfed-Powys Police said.

The people in the Peugeot 206 were taken to hospital but are not thought to have been seriously hurt.

The South Wales fire service said it took in excess of 200 calls for help during Thursday as crews helped with flooded homes at Pentre, Rhondda and in Monmouthshire.

BBC Wales weather presenter Sue Charles said the outlook for Friday remained much better, as the rain eased through the night.

"But it's not going to last," she warned.

"Heavy rain and blustery winds move up from the south through Saturday afternoon and a Met Office warning is now in place for this rain, so it could be very wet and windy."