SERIOUS FLOODING

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 2, 3 January 1936, Page 7

SERIOUS FLOODING

RAIN IN SOUTH ENGLAND

LARGE AREA INUNDATED

(British Official Wireless.) (Received January 3, noon.)

RUGBY, January 2,

Floods in many parts of southern England were further aggravated yesterday by heavy rain, and, although the forecast indicates that rain will again become general later, showers this morning were local. Extension of the flooded area has become serious in many parts of the Thames Valley. At Windsor and Eton the floods are the worst experienced since 1929, and the river, which at Windsor Bridge is 50 inches above normal, is still rising. The town of Eton is surrounded by water arid the playing fields of the college and the Windsor racecourse are under water.

The Thames authorities stated that yesterday's rate of the flow of the river at Teddington was about 7,500,000,000 gallons in 24 hours. In many places roads are impassable, and in river valleys many houses and bungalows can be reached only by punts. MAY BECOME MORE SERIOUS. "Weather forecasts of continued heavy rain for the next 48 hours give cause for fear that the present extensive flooding in many districts of the southern half of England may become even more serious. An increasing number of roads are impassable, and hundreds of square miles of land are inundated. The total rainfall of the last ten days is 2.63 inches, whereas the standard average for the whole month of January is only 2.21 inches. The increase in the rate of flow of the Thames yesterday was 1,300,000,000 gallons, bringing the rate for the 24 hours to 8,800,000,000 gallons. From Maidenhead down to Teddington there was a general rise of about six inches in the river level, and flooding of the riverside towns has forced many residents to abandon their homes, while others have to approach and leave by boat. The bridge over the Great Eastern Hailway main line in Wiltshire, which was declared dangerous yesterday, is still steadily subsiding, and its collapse is now imminent. Both road and rail traffic are affected.