Thames Barrier closed for the second time in 24 hours over flooding fears

Published: 8:31AM GMT 01 March 2010

The Thames Barrier, London"s main inundate defence, was sealed at 10pm last night to strengthen London from a total high waves and tidal surge Photo: PA

The Environment Agency sealed the Thames Barrier at 10pm last night to strengthen London from a total high waves and tidal surge in the Thames bay that was approaching to lift the H2O by a offer 50cm.

A orator pronounced stream continue patterns showed a estimable surge eventuality in the North Sea, with large waves still a probability in unprotected coastal areas today.

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Andy Batchelor, Tidal Area Flood Risk Manager, said: "We are stability to guard the continue and tidal incident closely and we will close the Thames Barrier again should we need to strengthen the 1.25 million people vital and operative in London"s floodplain.

"These closures are the 115th and 116th times we have sealed the Thames Barrier, and they offer as an critical sign to us all that vital in the inundate solid is never but risk."

Flood warnings sojourn in place opposite the nation currently nonetheless the complicated sleet that influenced England and Wales is approaching to ease off.

The Environment Agency has twenty-six inundate warnings in force covering tools of East Anglia, Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Kent and West Sussex.

There are 143 inundate watches in place inspiring majority of the rest of England and Wales.

The sleet is approaching to transparent currently with a little fever nonetheless there could be light, sparse wintry showers over northern and horse opera areas.

Tomorrow is additionally approaching to be dry and balmy but things could spin colder by the finish of the week.

A charge that left at slightest 51 people upheld in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Belgium upheld over Britain and brought downpours.

Southern Railway pronounced services in in between London Victoria and East Croydon were disrupted due to flooding in the Clapham Junction area.

South West Trains pronounced flooding at Fulwell, south-west London, caused delays to trains in in between London Waterloo and Shepperton around Wimbledon.

The flooding risk rose after days of complicated sleet swelled rivers and jam-packed the ground.

Vanessa Robson, 53, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, died after her Land Rover was swept down a distended stream at Hartoft, on the North Yorkshire Moors, on Friday.