26/12/2015 BBC Weekend News

More than 300 flood warnings and alerts have been

issued across England, Scotland and Wales.

15 are severe warnings, indicating a danger to life -

Homes in Ribchester and Whalley are being evacuated and people have

It's thought almost a month's rainfall will fall in one day

Our correspondent Judith Moritz is in Ribchester.

Yes, and after the problems in Cumbria earlier this month, today

its Lancashire's turn to feel nervous to see the water come into

buildings. You can see behind me here, the main road from the village

of Ribchester to Blackburn. We have spent the morning trying to get

around here, it is very difficult, and a lot of the roads are

impassable. This is one of the areas the Met office put its highest

warning on, a severe flood warning, and that is their way of telling

people here it is time to evacuate, to get themselves out, their

belongings safe to make sure they are nowhere near where this water is

coming in. If you want to drive to Blackburn

from here, the only way is by tractor. Ribchester's largely cut

off, roads impassable by car as the River Ribble has burst its banks. 24

hours ago, diners at this pub enjoying lunch, but this morning,

the water rose so quickly, the staff had to bail out the kitchens as the

water came in. The water was rising as we stood here now, it is about

two feet at the moment and driving higher. And that is in the kitchens?

The kitchen is completely flooded. We can't do anything in there today.

We just have to wait for the level to drop. As it happened before? You

are right near the river. I have been here six years now, and this is

the worse I have ever seen it. I haven't seen it this high. People

here say they haven't seen it like this for decades. Sandbags and

defences are in place, and most houses are currently clear of water,

but it is a nervous time. This is the worst since I have lived in the

village. I think it has been worse 20, 25 years ago when we first moved

into the area. In Lancashire, 70 millimetres of

rain has already fallen, and it's still coming, with around the same

amount due to fall before this evening.

As you can see, the conditions here are not good, and it's not just here

in Lancashire, I should tell you there are problems across the north,

there is flooding at the moment we hear and particularly around the

Calder Valley across West Yorkshire and into Leeds, but we are being

told are parts of Greater Manchester experiencing problems, among -- a

month's worth of rain falling in a day, difficulties in Scotland, and

the advice is to check for the latest flood information and to make

sure that you are at all times safe and not to come to near to where the

floods are. Judith, thanks very much.

Senior doctors are urging people not to attend Accident and Emergency

units over the festive period unless it's "absolutely necessary".

NHS bosses say pharmacies should be the first point of contact for those

feeling unwell, and are advising people to stock up on painkillers

and cough syrups to deal with minor ailments.

More than a hundred homes have been destroyed by Christmas Day bushfires

in Australia along a stretch of coastline popular

Firefighters are continuing to tackle the blazes south

of Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

Fast-moving flames and thick smoke have brought panic and fear

along Australia's famous Great Ocean Road.

More than 50 houses have been destroyed in Wye River

Firefighters have struggled to control the blazes.

Boots on the ground were supported by water-bombing aircraft,

The outbreak began last weekend, but intensified after being fanned

by strong winds as temperatures soared.

Many residents and holiday-makers were forced to flee

as Christmas festivities were abandoned

when the scale of the threat became apparent.

They were all prepared, putting their barbecues on,

they were cooking away, and all of a sudden

they could see the smoke coming over the hill.

They thought it was still four hours away,

it was an hour away, then half an hour away,

stopped cooking and hopped in their car and headed here.

Conditions were so severe that authorities were advised to evacuate

entire towns south-west of Melbourne.

A cool change has subdued some of the fires, and some heavy rain

Many bushfires are started by lightning strikes,

while others are sparked accidentally by campers

Ominously, some of the blazes are the work of arsonists.

Millions of shoppers are hitting the high street today

It's thought almost ?5 billion will be spent by bargain hunters

Our business correspondent Joe Lynam is on Oxford Street

Good afternoon. It is pretty busy on Oxford Street, as you can see. Maybe

less chaotic than other high streets throughout the UK, because London is

a tourist hub, but that isn't to say that people in the UK are not

spending money. They are spending ?4.9 billion over the festive period

by some measures. What is going on is they have more money in their

pocket, the cost of living has made flat lined and real wages are going

up, so people have more money to spend and they are going to spend

it. Interestingly, this year has seen a huge rise in online shopping,

so about a third of all the last you for weeks has been online, and the

rest of it is in high streets up and down the country like this. Though

they may be less chaotic than this one.

Joe, thank you by much. England's cricketers have had

difficult start on the first morning of their opening test

match in South Africa. After losing the toss

following a delayed start, captain Alistair Cook lasted

just eleven balls before They continued to struggle,

losing Joe Root. Rain has again stopped play

with England 55 for 3. The next news on BBC One

is at twenty to seven this evening. Good afternoon. There is no doubt

that a dangerous weather situation has developed so far this Boxing

Day. Torrential rain which has prompted the Met Office to issue a

red warning, that is the highest tier of warning. It means take

action, action to protect property, action to protect life. You can see

why the problems have begun to arise on the radar picture. This pipeline

of moisture, it has been raining in the same parts of North Wales and

north-west England four hour upon hour upon hour. We have a red

warning in force for parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and

there are Amber and yellow warnings in force across a large swathe of

North Wales, northern England and southern and eastern Scotland. These

green and yellow colours indicate the heaviest downpours, those

perhaps moving a little further north through the rest of the

afternoon full but plenty more rain to come, and hill snow for Scotland.

Northern Ireland, cloudy, damp and cold, but further south, very mild,

quite windy, mostly cloudy but at least try. This evening the rain

will continue for a time, and really poor travelling conditions, but

eventually this main band of rain will drift south and east, so things

will dry up in those areas. Further north, some fog for Northern

Ireland, a very mild night across the South. Tomorrow morning,

northern England will at least get a chance to dry out, and a bright

start. It will start a cloud over with sunlight breaks of rain pushing

up from the south, but this time the rain will not be nearly as heavy,

just some patchy outbreaks of rain moving in through the afternoon.

Scotland, bright and cold, further south, some brightness and a very

mild day. Plenty of flood warnings and severe flood warnings stop if

you are at all concerned, you can call the flood line. And our BBC

You're not a soldier, you are a doctor.

I'm an Army doctor which means I could break every