12/02/2014 BBC London News

flood waters are on the rise. That's

Year Good evening. The Environment Agency is warning of more flooding

and severe disruption as the Thames is set to rise, in places, to its

highest level in 60 years. 14 severe flood warnings remain in place in

Berkshire and Surrey. As the rescue operation continues, emergency

services have described their task as immense. Our reporter Nick Beake

spent the day with them in Surrey. The house down the road is going

under. The bungalows are going under. They are working flat out

with these most surreal of scenes. Whole estate are deluged. This is

mad. The water levels are still rising. It's not a good situation

and is only going to get worse in the next few days. I think people

need to be aware. They need to get food in. There is potential for the

national infrastructure ` the electric ` if that goes out, we ve

got real problems. It's up to my waist and getting deeper. The team

has been told a 72`year`old woman needs medical attention. But there's

a problem ` they can't get any further. Log cutters are needed

Eventually, June Shanks is brought out. Hopefully she will be able to

get sorted out. Anything like this before? No, no. The last time was

1947 when she was evacuated. She used to live down Chertsey Lane men.

And this weather ` I mean... Yeah. It's just deteriorated. He wasn t

wrong. No more than half a mile away, another rescue ` this time by

the army and the Fire Brigade joining forces. The Bruce family

dashed for the safety and warmth of a neighbour's has. We were just

stranded. We didn't get any notice that the floods were going to come

so all of our cars were underwater. We ran out of food on the drains

were all blocking so we had to get out. They knocked on doors and the

army said, "we're taking out in about if you're ready. " App the

people who are left, I don't know what they're going to do but they

chose to stay. The emergency services have been evacuating people

from their homes today and, as you can see, it's completely cut off.

The water continues to pour down. There's a howling wind and the

concern is that the water level he seems to be rising. That means, for

the emergency services, just no respite. The scale is immense and so

you can't imagine, unless you're here, how bad it is for some of

these residents. Among them, Mark Butler. A solitary figure on this

street, he arranged for his disabled wife to be evacuated but has so far

claimed the offer of a rescue for himself. Do you think you will have

to leave? Not yet. I'm staying here until my electric nose or it starts

coming through the front door. You've still got heating? I've got a

little electric heaters so I'm fine. I've got food and everything.

Elsewhere, it's not just people being pulled out of danger. You can

find cheerful faces here but no body knows just how long this will go on.

In this corner of Surrey tonight, the rescue goes on, the rain comes

down and the rescue mission continues.

So, that was sorry. Let's get the latest now from Wraysbury with Alice

Bhandhukravi. We heard about the scale of the task. Another

incredibly busy day. That's right, Riz. We're here in the

primary school, in the gym toned headquarters of the relief

operation. All the emergency services have been here throughout

the day. The army will be here throughout the night, as will the

fire service. They're getting calls to all sorts of people who need help

being evacuated, who may need medical supplies. Even the RSPCA has

been here to help animals in distress. I spoke to a local

councillor earlier who says that from the perspective of local

people, there is certainly the feeling that everything that can be

done. We're now into the night phase. We have 30 troops in the

village overnight, patrolling every street in conjunction with the

police. We have 12 London Fire Brigade engines on stand`by, two

ambulances and the centre open all night. It will be dealing with

enquiries and incidents. Of course, the worry is about what happens over

the next few days with the rising water levels. For a lot of people

here, the real work will start once the news crews and emergency

services have left and the real work begins in terms of cleaning up the

reconstruction. Alice, from Wraysbury, thank you.

Well, as we've seen, travelling around the flood`hit areas is a

challenge in itself ` let alone trying to get to work. Tarah Welsh

reports on how people have been coping.

Dread ` that's the feeling for people in Paddington tonight waiting

for journeys to Reading. The cancellations come up on the board

and nobody is informing us what s happening. We got on the second

station on the train back to Slough and there were people fighting to

get onto the platforms who couldn't get onto the train at all. And this

is why ` a flooded signalling cabinet at Maidenhead. In that

checked, this was the morning rush`hour. No trains. `` in Datchet.

Are you going to school? No. Why not? We can't get there. I need to

go to Chertsey, which normally takes about 20 minutes with good traffic.

It's taken me two hours. But there is a mode of transport making it

easier for some. Usually, tourists pay for this but today the service

is free. It's basically a boat with wheels. But the water has to be

about four feet deep before she ll actually float. Malcolm had to get

to the health centre this morning and would have had to get through

this. I do is to fly aircraft but I've never been on a duck before!

This man needed a lift to fly aircraft but I've never been on a

dock before! This man needed a lift just a few feet away.

Why can't you walk? It's too deep down there. For those who have to go

further, they need one of these But when the water comes to an end, the

traffic begins. A lot of road closures around here and I think a

lot of people are probably scared to go out because they don't know

whether they're going to get caught in the sudden depths of the water.

And it's not just what's under the water that's bothering people. It's

not knowing when it will go or what is next to come.

And there are continuing problems with rail services out of Euston

tonight. All Virgin trains on the West Coast Main Line from the

station have been suspended. Network Rail say some train services are

running to Birmingham and Wolverhampton but with delays.

The national weather forecast follows in a moment but first,

here's Georgina with a detailed look in and around London.

The Met Office having yellow warning in place for wind until 5am so a

gusty night ahead. Let's jump forward to Friday and Saturday

because we have another system pushing through, bringing heavy

rain, strong winds. There are yellow warnings in place for both rain and

wind. Tonight, it's more about showers through the night. Some of

them falling on higher ground are likely to be wintry, falling as

snow, with temperatures down to two or three degrees. Ice may be an

issue in rural areas. Tomorrow is a day of sunshine and blustery

showers. Temperatures up to about six or seven, so not too bad a day

tomorrow. I will leave you with a three`day outlook for the week and I

will pass over to Jay Wynne, who has the national weather.

Good evening. What an incredible day of weather it has been. We saw gusts

of wind up to 108 mph in the West of Wales. The wind is easing down a

notch or two but we still have a high-level amber warning from the

Met Office for the strength of the wind over the next few hours over

quite a large swathe of the UK. Northern Ireland, northern England

and down across Wales, there is still potential for damaging and

disruptive gusts of wind. This huge curl of cloud is bringing wet and

windy weather across much of the West of Europe. It curls back across

the north of the UK and that's the centre of the area of low pressure

with the strongest winds just to the south of that. Let's focus on the

winds over the next few hours. The ease down by a notch or two but

still blustery conditions over most of Wales. High seas around the coast

and gusting up to 70 mph. Easily around the 80 mph mark across much

of northern England. Across the Pennines this evening and overnight,

travelling will be treacherous. Wind and rain at lower levels will

produce a lot of spray. You don t have to go to high up the Pennines

to see that turned to snow. One way or another, further disruption to

travel is more than likely. BBC local radio will keep you up-to date

on where you are and where you are trying to get to. The centre of the

low system moves northwards. Pretty heavy snow developing across the

hills of Scotland with several centimetres by dawn. A bit of snow

for Northern Ireland and wintry showers drifting across the southern

counties. A risk of ice with most races are seeing the temperatures a

degree or so either side of freezing. A cold, windy start

Thursday but I think it be a better day. No persistent rain to be seen.

There should be some spells of sunshine for many of us, as well.

Does it last until the end of the week? I'm afraid not. It goes

downhill on Friday. This low pressure will head our way. Lots of

isobars on the chart later in the day. Gusts of 60, 70 or 80 mph, with

rain spreading northwards. Significant snow for parts of

Northern Ireland and southern Scotland. Windy into the start of

the weekend. Saturday has outbreaks of rain. On Sunday, something of a

respite. The winds will ease down and it should