West Midlands weather: Storm Angus brings heavy rain and flooding
[gallery] Heavy rain has seen part of the Midlands already battered by Storm Angus at risk of further flooding - with bad driving conditions, a school forced to close and a woman needing treatment when a car was hit by a falling tree.
Wet weather is sweeping across the Black Country and Staffordshire causing damage and disruption as it falls on already saturated ground.
The Environment Agency said it is preparing to put up temporary defences 'where necessary' and said rivers have been cleared to make sure water can flow freely.
Firefighters were called to Kings Hill Close, Wednesbury, at around 1.15pm today after a tree collapsed on a vehicle, leaving the woman in the car needing treatment from paramedics. She did not need to be taken to hospital.
West Midlands Fire Service said: "The vehicle was pulled from under the tree using a winch and a tree surgeon from the local council was requested to attend to make the tree safe."
In Aldridge, firefighters had to rescue motorists from deep water.
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Springdale Infant School, in Warstones Drive, near Spring Hill, Wolverhampton, will be forced to close tomorrow after flood water caused damage.
A woman has been taken to hospital after part of her kitchen ceiling collapsed onto her, amid heavy downpours in the West Midlands.
Motorists are being warned not to drive through flood water and residents in at-risk areas have been advised to contact their councils for sandbags to protect their homes.
The West Midlands, Wales and north of England are all covered by a yellow 'be aware' warning, with more than two inches (60mm) of rain forecast to fall in some places.
Environment Agency manager Dave Throup tweeted this picture showing the levels of rainfall in the Midlands.
Heavy, persistent rain will move slowly northwards today across the West Midlands.
Forecasters say winds will be strong too, with gales likely over higher ground, meaning it will be feeling rather cold.
Temperatures will reach around 7C (45F) this afternoon and remain mild into this evening.
The rain will move away to the north of the Midlands this evening but heavy showers are expected for the rush hour.
Scattered showers will follow in from the south but the winds will ease for many.
Motorists were warned about conditions on the roads and motorways after crashes.
Traffic queues formed around the M6 southbound through junctions 13 and 12 near Cannock to allow a car to be cleared in the heavy rain.
Alison Baptiste, national flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Large parts of southern England have already experienced the impacts of Storm Angus this weekend.
"With more heavy rain on its way, people in the North and South West need to be prepared for the risk of flooding.
"Environment Agency teams have been out working through the night and we are now preparing for further flooding as rain continues over the next couple of days.
"People should remember not to drive through flood water and be aware travel may be disrupted.
"Environment Agency teams will clear blockages in rivers, continue to issue flood warnings and may operate flood gates and sea defences."
Storm Angus, the first named storm of the season which moved off into the North Sea by about midday on Sunday, brought gusts of more than 80mph and caused power cuts for more than 1,000 homes in the South West.
Eleven crew members had to be rescued from a cargo ship after it crashed into a stone barge off the coast of Dover and began taking on water.
The other 12 remained on board as they worked alongside the Coastguard to bring the ship into port.
Wind speeds of up to 50mph are expected on Monday and the persistent downpours in the South W est early on in the day are likely to be followed by thundery showers, the Met Office warned.
The Met Office has updated its amber alert to extend it to include Somerset, meaning the county should be prepared for transport to be affected while the flooding of homes and businesses is "possible".
