Flood alerts issued across UK but thousands without drinking water in Kent

The worst of Storm Goretti may have passed over the UK, but the impact is still being felt in many parts of the country.

There were still 4,000 homes without power on Sunday evening according to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who said power had been restored 98% of those who had been cut off.

And in many parts of northern Scotland and the Midlands, flood alerts and flood warnings remain in effect.

Residents of Tewkesbury are warned the River Severn could burst its banks tomorrow, while Stanford in Worcestershire and the South Winterbourne Valley in Dorset also face serious flooding.

Perthshire in Scotland contains 12 of the country’s 18 flood warnings, with the River Tay threatening to cause problems west of Perth and north of Dunkeld.

Meanwhile, thousands of homes in Kent and Sussex have limited or no access to water, with South East Water blaming burst pipes and power cuts.

Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran confirmed this morning a major incident had been declared with additional arrangements in place.

Several schools in the two counties have announced they will be closing for the day due to a lack of water supply.

South East Water said some of its customers in areas around East Grinstead, Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury may need to wait until tomorrow for their supply to be restored.

It is the second time in two months that residents of Tunbridge Wells have lost access to drinking water, following a long-lasting issue at the Pembury Water Treatment beginning at the end of November.

Local MP Mike Martin told the BBC this morning: ‘I think the chair of South East Water needs to convene the board and get a grip of what’s going on.’

According to the Met Office, heavy rain and melting snow are to blame for the increased risk of flooding in many parts of the UK.

A yellow warning for ice has been issued by the weather agency from 7pm this evening until 10am tomorrow, including several parts of Scotland that have also been issued with flood warnings.

On Sunday night, meteorologist Tom Morgan said: ‘Combined with the rainfall, the higher temperatures, we will see some flooding due to the snow melt gradually as we go through the next few days, so that’s the main concern.’

He predicted transport disruption including ferry cancellations and bridge closures in Scotland, while rain is expected to affect road travel.

Last week, Storm Goretti prompted a rare red warning from the Met Office for wind in the south-west of England, with gusts of almost 100mph hitting the region.

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