12/02/2014 BBC News at One

Britain is battered once again as hurricane force winds hit the UK.

The Met Office issues a rare red warning, the most severe level of

threat, as forecasters warned to prepare for an exceptional storm.

The River Severn is about to reach a record high, threatening hundreds of

homes and properties. And along the Thames, the misery continues for

those who have been flooded there. We will be live with our

correspondents across the UK as forecasters warn one month's rain

will fall in next few days. The Prime Minister outlines details of

financial support, we will look at where the money comes from. Also

this lunchtime, the Bank of England says interest rates will stay low

but will start to rise gradually once the economy recovers.

Counterterrorism teams search a property in Sussex as the first

Briton to carry out a suicide bomb attack in Syria is named. Millions

more people in England could be prescribed cholesterol lowering

drugs and a new draft guidelines. Hello, good afternoon, welcome to

the BBC News At One. Even weather forecasters are describing the storm

now battering western part of the UK as exceptional. They have issued a

rare red warning, indicating the most severe level of threat for

parts of Wales and north-west England. One month's worth of rain

is expected to fall over the next two days, with almost every part of

the UK covered with a warning for wind, rain or snow. All of this is

on top of the floods causing misery for thousands. This lunchtime we are

live and West Wales, one of the first place is on top of the floods

causing misery for thousands. This lunchtime we are live and West

Wales, one of the first places to feel the full force of that storm,

we, and we are on the Thames, where there are still 14 severe flood

warnings in place. First, though, to Criccieth in Cardigan Bay, and Wales

correspondent Hywel Griffith. Yes, the wind speeds being

experienced here would be considered extraordinary out on the open seas,

but what makes this exceptional is that we are about to experience

hurricane force 12 gales hitting the coastline. Now, already high winds

are causing havoc in some parts of Wales. 3000 homes have lost power,

trees falling, the emergency services having to step in to clear

roads. Problems on the train lines, and the worst thing is that we are

being told that things are about to get much worse.

What will nature throw at us next? As hurricane force winds started

battering the Welsh coastline, they carried yet more rain inland. On the

Irish Sea, ferries have been cancelled. Along this peninsula,

gusts could reach 100 mph. A red weather warning means take immediate

action, take shelter and prepare homes. I am over 60 years old, I

have never seen anything like this. We have not had a break since

Christmas, it has been day after day. Yeah, the wind is really

building up, you can feel it filling your clothes. Any woody would be

advised to stay at home. -- anybody. For several weeks coastal defences

here have been found wanting. All that people living here can now do

is hang on and wait dizzy what the latest storm it will bring and how

much destruction it leaves behind. -- wait to see. At the Met Office

weather centre in Exeter, the growing. The wind has triggered a

warning of widespread structural damage. -- the growing force of the

wind. In Plymouth, seaside shops and businesses are preparing for the

worst. And in Cornwall, the winds are causing waves to swell.

Conditions are already challenging. We were going to go to goats

shelter, Martin, because this is getting a little nasty. -- to get

some shelter. In some parts of Wales, train passengers are being

urged to finish their journeys as soon as possible because there is no

guarantee of being able to return home. That red weather warning comes

into effect within the next hour, and while we are seeing people come

down to look at the storm, the advice to people is to state clear

of the coast. Those people who have homes here are having to batten down

the hatches and prepare for these exceptional conditions.

You can appreciate the challenges with technology there. Peter Gibbs

joins us now, you are calling this exceptional, what makes it so, and

what Pat Willits take today? -- and what path will it take today? This

whole sequence has been exceptional, not all of them have gone across the

UK, this is intense and is running right across central areas, moving

across Northern Ireland, Scotland through this evening. We are talking

about winds gusting up to 100 mph potentially around western coasts of

Wales, through this afternoon, and moving this evening into

north-western parts of Scotland. Yes, widespread disruption, travel,

transport, power lines as well, and I think the advice has to be, if you

do not have to go out, just stay at home.

Thank you very much for that, more from you at the end of the

programme. The threat of the more extreme weather to come is not going

to be welcome news in parts of southern England which have already

suffered the worst of recent flooding. There are 16 severe

warnings in Berkshire, Surrey and Somerset. Ben Brown is in

Staines-upon-Thames. Yeah, Kate, it is torrential rain

here right now, and as you say, this is just about the last thing the

flood victims here along the Thames Valley need, hundreds of homes here

in Berkshire and Surrey have been flooded and evacuated, and water

levels are going to rise inevitably after rainfall like this, and that

means yet more homes will be flooded as well. Water levels also rising on

the River Severn, so people in Worcester watching that really

anxiously indeed this lunchtime. Let's go to Sian Lloyd, who is

there. Yes, it really is a case of wait and

see here in Worcestershire. The River Severn has been rising because

of the localised rain yesterday, but this river has its source in the

hills of Wales, and the impact of the very heavy rain there will be

filed here in the coming days. -- felt.

The defences here have never been tested to this extent. For the town

and the Environment Agency, it is uncharted territory. The River

Severn is continuing to rise, with another peak expected on Friday.

Without these defences, Bewdley would be underwater. The town has

suffered severe flooding in the past, and people who live along the

river bank are taking no chances. Flood barriers and sandbags. And it

is just a precaution, really, because I know that the River can

come up. We have never had it this tidy for, but then we have never had

the defences before, so this is really trying the defences out.

Lindsey is feeling the effects of the weather. She has had to cancel

bookings for her holiday cottage, but a pump she installed is keeping

the worst at bay. It is the water table levels at the moment, not the

River Wharfe. There is so much water in the ground, it has to go

somewhere, it comes up through the floor, and it takes the excess water

away, otherwise I would be needed, I think. People living here have told

me they have never seen the water is so high, and it matches the peak of

the record-breaking floods of 2007. This barrier currently is 1.65

metres high. It is keeping back the River Severn, but it needs to go

higher. Bewdley had its big investment in flood defences that

other communities are now calling for. About ?10 million worth of

investment here, so a lot of money and thought has gone into this, and

we are pumping at the moment, and we are confident it is under control.

But contingency plans are in place. Rest centres will be set up if

evacuation is needed. There really is a feeling of hope

and determination here in Bewdley, everything is on stand-by. It is

simply a case now waiting to see what more nature at us. Ben.

Well, thank you very much indeed. Here on the Thames Valley, we are

getting another drenching, another soaking this afternoon. Already we

have had 14 severe flood warnings in place in Surrey and Berkshire along

this stretch of the Thames Valley. Here in Staines-upon-Thames, some

people are saying they are getting the sandbags they need to protect

their properties, like the ones Eusebio me, but others say they are

not getting what they need, more sandbags. -- like the ones you see

behind me. Somewhere under here is the heart of

gadget. These days, most of the traffic is waterborne, people get in

and out as best they can. -- Datchet. This amphibious vehicle

bought for tourists rides is now doing emergency work, carrying

people to safety. Hundreds of businesses are also marooned.

This is the leisure centre, a booming business when this was

filmed, a venue for national and European water ski Championships.

Its owner, Stuart, took me to see it today. It was inundated six weeks

ago, and the water isn't going anywhere. We have over ?100,000

worth of stock, and it is on a payment plan which needs to be paid

in the middle of February, March and April, so normally at this time of

year we have got 50 to 100 skiers coming through each week, but at the

moment we cannot operate at all in any way. All the buildings are

flooded and it will cost thousands of pounds to repair. There is no

money coming in, and there are bills to pay.

Everybody's keeping a close eye on what is happening here. That area of

water is flooding from the River Thames, and it is about 80 inches

higher than the pavement and standing on. It is only being kept

in check by the sandbags and is rather elderly brick wall. The army

brought in the sandbags to reinforce the wall, but if we get a month

worth's of rain in the next few days, it will be a great deal of

pressure on this wall, and it is the only thing which is protecting

Datchet at the moment and stopping the flooding from being even worse.

Datchet is in trouble, and on the edge of the village another threat

is lurking. Water is already streaming through the gaps and into

the village. In nearby Wraysbury, the army was out in force, the

sandbags are welcome, and the military are giving advice about

what else residents can do. Further into the valley, this is jetty,

braced for the worst, which we are told is yet to come. The Government

says money is no object, but people want this water gone, and right now

money cannot buy that. Yeah, they want this water gone, as

Richard says, but it is still coming down, the rain absolutely

torrential. Just when people here in the Thames Valley thought it could

not get any worse, it is getting worse, a month's worth of rain

forecast to fall in the coming days. Kate, back to you.

Saucers at Number Ten say that there will be no sliding away from David

Cameron's promise that money is no object when it comes to flood

relief. The Prime Minister will chair a further COBRA meeting this

afternoon. We can get more from Vicki Young.

Thank you very much for coming for this COBRA meeting... Inside the

latest emergency meeting on flooding, this morning David Cameron

heard weather forecasts, transport updates and news of the 2000

military personnel now being deployed in Somerset and along the

Thames. In terms of extra numbers, should they be available, there are

thousands more available at a relatively short notice? The Prime

Minister has promised that money is no object for the relief effort,

although it is not yet clear where the funds will be coming from. So is

David Cameron really splashing the cash? Last week, he announced an

extra ?130 million for new flood defences. There is a rumour that

around ?60 million will be set aside for transport repairs. And there

will be ?10 million for farmers whose land has been affected by the

floods. In the Commons, the Labour leader accused him of sending out

mixed messages over flood spending. He made a very grand promise to

spend whatever it takes to recover from this and make sure we have a

resilient country for the future and the simple point I'm making to him

if there are real doubts when it comes to making members of the

Environment Agency who deal with flooding redundant. The Prime

Minister said help is at hand and announced businesses affected by the

flood would get business rate relief. Money will be no object for

that I don't want people to worry about penny-pinching as they took

the vital work needed to help them with their houses, to help them deal

with the floods. That's what this government is doing. We are

deploying the military when we have been asked. Deploying extra pumps.

Raising the compensation to local government to 100% because that is

what local community should have. Ministers are focused on the

immediate relief effort but these extreme conditions have reignited

the rows about longer term spending on flood defences. Our Chief

Political Correspondent Norman Smith is at Westminster. Some say is he

going to regret this statement about money is no object? Norman, so are

we any clearer today as to where this relief money will come from?

It's true to say Mr Cameron won himself big bold headlines but his

assertion that money is never object but today, well, it's looking a lot

left bold, those headlines, and could be more of a political

millstone because we learnt this is not new money but money from

existing departmental contingency budgets. Many ministers had in their

back pocket for a rainy day and that means the money is much more limited

and is circumscribed just to this particular relief effort. It's not

money the building new flood defences on making railways more

resilient. Number ten say that's what the Prime Minister said. He

never promised he was going to spend vast amounts of money and they say

Mr Cameron has said that the sort of scheme to thinking about, such as

?10 million more for farmers, more cash to help homeowners with grants,

and also tax relief for businesses, and they have accused critics of

mischiefmaking. The difficulty is, basically, expectation management,

people listening to him yesterday I suspect came away with the

impression he was promising something much more ambitious in

terms of spending commitments and, secondly, credibility. It's not just

a national emergency, but the Prime Minister's national emergency,

because he has placed himself centrestage to juggle it which means

any criticism, any doubts about the government response rebounds against

him personally. Norman, thank you very much indeed. And you can get

all the latest on the severe weather and the flooding on the BBC News

website. And there are of course updates on

your BBC Local radio and TV stations.

Our top story this lunchtime. It is the weather. Britain faces a

battering again. The Met Office issues a rare Red Warning, the most

severe level of threat, as forecasters warn to prepare for an

exceptional storm. And still to come. A sharp rise in the number of

people dying in Britain after taking drugs known as legal highs. Later on

BBC London, the former X Factor judge pleads not guilty to

assaulting a man at a festival and how beyond say's choreographer is

using martial arts to strengthen ties between London and Japan. --

beyond say. Interest rates look likely to remain

low for some time yet, despite the recent improvement in the British

economy. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, said any

eventual rise would have to be gradual when conditions allowed. The

announcement today came as the Governor revealed the interest rate

policy would now be determined not by unemployment figures but a wider

range of indicators. He also added the recovery, whilst gaining

momentum was not yet balanced. Here's our Chief Economics

Correspondent, Hugh Pym. Signals from the Bank of England about

interest rates are crucial for businesses and their workers and

savings but today we got the latest message from the bank as to when the

cost of borrowing might start rising. The governor Mark Carney

suggested rates would not go up from a while and then only gradually.

Even in the medium-term, the level of interest rates necessary to

sustain low unemployment and price stability would be materially lower

than before the crisis. It's hard to be precise, but one illustration of

the possible level of bank rate in the medium-term can be derived from

the latest forecast of the bank that is based on the market curve, which

itself, approaches only 2% interest rates three years now. His stance

has changed since August when he said rate rises wouldn't be

considered until unemployment fell to 7%. That will happen faster than

expected, so now he has a range of indicators will be monitored. We

have taken stock, we move into a phase where we are still looking to

maintain the momentum in the recovery but where we have to make

judgements we will. Where do businesses now stand? Some likeness

Barnsley -based engineering firm invested in new machinery after the

Bank of England microbus assurances last year that rates would stay low

until fell. They need as much certainty as possible to plan for

the future. We would like to see interest rates remaining low and

knowing what's going to happen in the long-term is an important part

for us. The danger is, by amending its policy, forward guidance, the

Bank of England will create more confusion in the minds of borrowers

and the challenge now will be to communicate it thinking based on the

and turns of the economy. Let's pick up on that. What is his message? His

simple message to borrowers and savers, interest rates may well not

get back to 2% until 2017 and may well not start rising until spring

of year. Mark Carney was indicating that's what the markets expect but

there was a clear message that that seems realistic. So rates he would

like us to think we'll stay low for a little while to come as they

assess where the economy is going, but some will ask, he set out this

policy last August, it seems very clear, they will consider rates to

be written with unemployment falls and isn't it now rather confusing

and nebulous, looking at different variables? He then said he would a

lot of interviews and speeches to explain it, but the whole point of

this policy was to give borrowers and savers a bit more certainty

about where rates were going. People this lunchtime could be scratching

their heads a bit and wondering what's going on. Thank you. Millions

more people could be prescribed statins, the tablets which reduce

cholesterol and other fats in the blood. New draft guidelines from the

health care watchdog NICE say GPs in England should offer the drugs to a

much wider group of patients to help cut the risk of heart disease and

strokes. Here's our health correspondent, Jane Dreaper. Sue is

a healthy active grandmother. A vegetarian, who exercises several

times a week. Two months ago, she started taking a low dose of statins

each day to lower her cholesterol levels. I was a reticent at first,

actually, I don't really want to take a pill a day. But I haven't

noticed any difference. I feel fine on them and my cholesterol is down

so I imagine that's a good thing. Statins are taken by millions of

people already and their use has quadrupled in the last decade with

60 million prescriptions a year in England now. GPs currently offer

them to patients who have a 20% risk of a heart attack or stroke in the

next ten years. NICE wants to lower that 10%, so many more people will

end up taking statins. These proposals are designed to prevent

heart attacks and strokes in middle aged people but there will be

criticism this is too much about medication and not about changing

lifestyles. Whilst some people don't like taking drugs, if they choose,

they can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by modifying

lifestyle factors but, for many, the drug treatment of blood flats --

fats, and BP is the best way of not dying from heart disease. The price

of statins has come down in recent years so NICE believe it's a good

use of NHS money. Wales and Northern Ireland are likely to adopt the

guidelines, too. With Scotland making its own decisions. The BBC

has learned the identity of the first British suicide bomber to blow

himself up in Syria. He has been named as Abdul Waheed Majid, a

41-year-old from Sussex. He is believed to have carried out a

suicide truck bombing in Aleppo last Thursday. Detectives from the South

East Counter Terrorism Unit have been searching his address in

Crawley. Our Security Correspondent Frank Gardner reports. All morning

police have been at this address in Crawley in Sussex. It's the home of

Abdul Waheed Majid, known to his friend as Wahid. He is now believed

to be the first British jihadist to blow himself up in Syria since the

conflict began three years ago. Neighbours said he left for Syria

some weeks ago but his actions have left stunned. It's quite a shock to

find out someone has actually lost their life, albeit a terrorist, but

it's a bit sad, really. Absolutely shocked full so really, really

shocked. I couldn't believe it. Such a horrendous thing. He is believed

to be in the driver of this specially armoured truck last

Thursday. Packed with explosives, the aimed straight at the walls of

Aleppo prison hoping to free rebels inside. Jihadist group linked to

arcade at the least this video online praising his actions a

martyrdom operation. In Britain, and associates have been using Facebook

to post appeals for donations to his family. Police following an

investigation into his death, say no other addresses have been searched

and no arrests have been made. There's been another rise in the

number of deaths linked to so-called legal highs, according to figures

shown to the BBC. Almost 70 people died after taking what are called

new psycho-active substances while there were just ten deaths in 2009.

Our Global Health Correspondent Tulip Mazumdar reports. Richard is

severely brain-damaged and can make sounds, but no one knows that the

understands the world around him. It makes me happy, that picture. Last,

he took a banned drug and had been drinking in tiny traces of cocaine

were also found in his system. He is dependent on 24-hour care. He can

hold his head up and move his arms. But that's about as far as it goes.

He can't communicate. He would not have taken this if you knew the

risks. I'm heartbroken it's something he could get so easily,

which could have such a devastating effect. Doctors told his family it

was probably the cocktail of alcohol and drug which triggered seizures

for the Richard Gott is drugs online, completely untested

substances, surprisingly easy to get hold of. I ordered these late in the

afternoon and they arrived at the very next morning. I have "not for

human consumption" written all over them but if you look the name, it

suggests very different. Below is a slang word for cocaine. 68 people

died after taking the substances in 2012, the contents of which are

constantly changing to get around government bans, creating a major

challenge for ministers. I agree it needs to have action taken. We have

been doing that. We are ahead of the game compared to other countries but

haven't yet cracked it. Richard's family want people to see just how

much damage the substances can cause. More now on our main story.

The extreme weather that is hitting the UK once again. The Met Office

has issued a rare Red Warning, the most severe level of threat for

exceptionally strong winds in West Wales and some parts of northwest

England. Our correspondent Judith Moritz is in Blackpool. Yes, the

structures behind me, just in front of a tower were designed in

Blackpool to bend in the winter. They are being tested right now. We

are expecting wind speeds of up to 100 mph on this stretch of coastline

this afternoon. It's part of the Met Office's Red Warning. It is just

easier but I don't think things are at their height and the shipping

forecast for the Irish Sea resources by collating the wind could reach up

to hurricane force 12, something the Coast Guard locally has told us he

has an singledom once or twice in 30 years. It is already leading to

potential disruption, for transport routes. This already cancellations

of some ferry routes across the Irish Sea for this evening.

Liverpool Airport are keeping an eye on things for them they are

functioning normally at the moment but the wind could be promoted for

them so they will review it again. On the trains, routes out of

Holyhead towards Cardiff and across to Birmingham and Manchester are

also disrupted, as well. In terms of today, this warning is in force up

to about 9pm tonight, so things yet not at their peak. OK, thank you.

Time for a look at the weather. Here's Peter Gibbs.

The most intense storm this winter which is why we have this Red

Warning in force for the best two years since we saw a Red Warning for

wind across the UK, so it puts it in context for you. What does that mean

in terms of impact? Well, widespread structural damage is certainly a

possibility with wind gusting up to 100 mph. Disruption to power lines

and travel likely and the message is, unless you absolutely have to

travel, it's better to stay indoors. It's across north-west England and

Wales never read warning in force but embedded within a much wider

wind warning, some of the strongest gusts here once again gusting up to

80 mph but just easing a touch once the band of heavy rain begins to

move through the wind which will be picking up through the afternoon

into this evening. Pembrokeshire, stronger wind gusting up to 100 mph.

Inland, gusting up to around 80 mph, and then moving to the north-west of

England this evening, and accompanied by heavy snow. Atrocious

conditions for the busy travel period this evening across the

Pennines. There will be blizzards across the higher levels. One way or

another, they will be disruption for the rest of today. You can get the

latest on the BBC web pages and also your BBC local radio station. It

takes a while for things to ease off as well. More snow across northern

England and across Scotland. Northern Ireland seeing some snow as

well. The wind only very slowly easing, so wintry showers further

south, too. Ice almost anywhere tomorrow, as temperatures drop away.

And the cold air starts to move in. We are looking at temperatures close

to freezing pretty much across the board. What about the rest of

Thursday? It is quieter, in terms of what we have been seeing in recent

weeks. Still quite a breezy day with showers around, as well. It is

showers rather than anything more widespread. Temperatures in five -

nine Celsius. Is that it? No, it really isn't. For Thursday night

onwards and Friday, another low pressure system heading straight for

the UK, more heavy rain. At the moment, there is no end in sight for

some worth keeping up-to-date with a forecast.

Now a reminder of our top story this lunchtime. Britain faces another

battering from the weather. Forecasters warn to prepare for an

exceptional storm as the Met Office issues a rare Red Warning, the most

severe level of threat. That's all from us. Now on BBC One it's time

for the news where