Riverside paths in Hereford are flooded this morning, with levels on the River Wye continuing to rise, following heavy rain in Wales on Wednesday.
The River Wye is currently over 4 metres deep at the Old Bridge gauge, meaning that riverside paths alongside the river, between Hunderton Bridge and the Victoria Bridge are likely to be flooded.
The river is expected to peak later today, at around 4.5 metres. Whilst this is a high level for the Wye, it is still more than 1.5 metres short of the all time record height of 6.1 metres that was recorded in February 2020 and therefore severe flooding seems unlikely.
The Environment Agency said:
“River levels are forecast to rise at the Hay-On-Wye river gauge as a result of Storm Barra. Consequently, flooding of roads and farmland is expected.
“We expect flooding to affect low lying land and roads along the River Wye from Hay on Wye to Ross on Wye. Other locations that may be affected include the A438, Byford, Bredwardine and Hereford.
“Predicted peaks:- Hay on Wye 2.8m to 3.0m overnight tonight, Bredwardine 4.8m to 5.2m Thursday morning, Belmont 4.6m to 5.0m Thursday afternoon, Old Wye Bridge 4.0m to 4.5m Thursday afternoon, Mordiford 4.1m to 4.6m Thursday afternoon.
“Flooding of properties is not forecast at this point. Further rainfall is forecast over the next 48 hours. We expect river levels to remain high into the weekend. We are closely monitoring the situation. Please plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded. This message will be updated by 09:00 on 09/12/21, or as the situation changes.”
Elsewhere, Flood Alerts are in force on the River Lugg (North of Leominster) and the River Arrow.
