Flood-hit communities in Wales braced for more heavy rain

Flood-hit communities are braced for further heavy rain as river levels continue to threaten to breach barriers.

Around 800 homes in Wales have been directly affected by flooding after the downpours brought to the UK by Storm Dennis.

The Welsh Government is hosting an emergency summit on Wednesday to bring together key frontline services, councils and business leaders to assess the extent of the damage across Wales and coordinate a response.

A £10m emergency fund to deal with the immediate impact of Storm Dennis and Storm Ciara in Wales was announced on Tuesday.

Staff members cleaning outside the Celtic Flooring store, which has been damaged by floodwater in Nantgarw, south Wales. Credit: PA

Record-breaking river levels and continued rainfall means further flooding is possible across much of the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for persistent rain in Wales for Wednesday and Thursday.

Read more:

Residents travel through Monmouth in a canoe. Credit: PA

Two severe warnings on the River Wye at Monmouth have been downgraded by Natural Resources Wales, although the Wye bridge in the town remained closed.

Hundreds of residential and commercial properties have been flooded in the town and several hundred people have either moved upstairs or found alternative accommodation. A rest centre continues to operate from Shire Hall.

Mountain rescue teams evacuated an elderly man from his home on a flooded road by breaking down his back door with a sledgehammer and taking him to safety on a raft.

Residents have been asked to limit their use of water use after a treatment works in Monmouthshire flooded.

A fleet of tankers are being used to top up the distribution system and bottled water stations have been established in case supplies run out.

Credit: Monmouthshire Council
Flood damage in Rachel Cox's living room at 37 Oxford street, Nantgarw, in south Wales. Credit: PA

Over the weekend, the River Taff in Pontypridd reached the highest level in more than 40 years and the River Usk reached the highest level since 1979.

Read more: