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  1. A brief reprieve?published at 19:55 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    A weather graphic showing a day's worth of weather

    This is how Friday looks for the Yeovil area, according to the Â鶹ԼÅÄ weather forecast.

    That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that heavy rain is forecast to return across Somerset in the early hours of Saturday morning.

  2. Councillor calls for more infrastructure spendingpublished at 19:38 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Councillor Mike Rigby standing on a coastal area

    Councillor Mike Rigby, Executive Lead Member for Transport at Somerset Council has spoken to Â鶹ԼÅÄ Somerset about the funding pressures Somerset Council faces:

    "It's fair to say that we don't spend as much money as I'd like on highways drainage infrastructure and the maintenance of that infrastructure.

    "You'll be well aware of the plight of council budgets across the country. Social care is consuming the vast majority of most large council's budgets, and highways have suffered as a result of that.

    "We need government to come to the party and to find a new way of funding social care away from council tax."

  3. Further issues on the A303published at 19:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    A road closed sign

    Travel Somerset says the A303 is closed eastbound near South Petherton due to flooding.

    "Given the A356 to Crewkerne and A358 Donyatt is already affected by flooding, the diversion will commence from the A30 Honiton and follow the A30 to Yeovil and re-join the A303 via A3088," the council-run service said.

    The westbound carriageway is unaffected.

  4. Climate change making flooding worse, says EA bosspublished at 19:02 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Ian Withers

    Ian Withers, Action Area Director for Wessex Environment Agency has spoken to Claire Carter on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Somerset.

    "We haven't had the deluge that we expected, so that's good news. I don't deny there are problems across the county but not as bad as we were expecting this time yesterday.

    "The rain we're having today is going to cause an impact in our rivers, everything is so wet and saturated.

    "All the areas that are wet will stay that way for a while. I would urge people to be circumspect about travelling, certainly as it gets dark.

    "There's no doubt that our climate is changing.

    "What we're seeing is very intense rainfall. Our winters are dominated by storms that dump enormous amounts of water on our communities."

  5. Hazardous conditions for driverspublished at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Car driving through flood water

    One of our camera crews out filming today took this photograph of the partially-flooded A3066 North Street in Haslebury Plucknett.

  6. A303 just passable near Chardpublished at 18:28 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Police report the A303 in both directions is just passable due to flooding between Chard and Marsh.

  7. Flood warning issued for River Yeopublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Map of areas liable to floodImage source, Environment Agency

    The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning due to levels rising on the River Yeo.

    It says the areas around Ludborne Road and the Sherborne Sewage Treatment Works in Sherborne are likely to be affected.

    There are also flood warnings in place for the River Parrett near Kingsbury Episcopi, the River Isle from Chard Reservoir and Curry Moor.

  8. Toby the horse takes a trotpublished at 17:45 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Horse near flood waterImage source, Paul Silvers

    Paul Silvers posted this photo on X, showing Toby the horse emerging from flood water at the closed A358 at Donyatt near Chard.

  9. Friday clear but more rain expected Saturdaypublished at 17:26 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    The Met Office weather forecast for Somerset shows a largely clear day tomorrow, but another heavy band of rain will sweep across the county from about midnight until approximately 8am on Saturday.

    While there are no weather warnings in force, there may be further flooding as the ground is already saturated.

  10. Multiple callouts for firefighterspublished at 17:10 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    The front of  a fire engineImage source, Getty Images

    Dorset and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service say they have been called out a number of times today across Somerset and Devon:

    • Two occupants were rescued from a lorry in Whitford Road, Musbury by crew using a wading boat, dry suits and flood suits.

    • A transit van had become stuck in water on Postock Road, near Honiton. Two occupants were rescued by crew using wading suits and wading poles.

    • One person was rescued from a vehicle on Station Road at Chard Junction that had become stuck in flood water.

    • One person was rescued from a vehicle on Parsons Lane in Rockbere by two firefighters in flood suits.

    • One person was rescued from a vehicle in half a meter of flood water near Yealmpton in Devon by crew using two flood suits and two wading poles.
  11. Council publishes update on road closurespublished at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    A police stop sign in front of a flooded road
    Image caption,

    The A358 at Donyatt is one of many flooded roads

    Here are all the roads closed in Somerset at 4.45pm this evening, according to Somerset Council's

    • The A358 at Donyatt
    • A356 from A303 to Crewkerne
    • B3165 south of Crewkerne (Clapton Rd)
    • Langport to Muchelney Rd
    • Cutts Road
    • West Mudford Road
    • Scotts Way Middle Chinnock
    • Merriot Road Crewkerne
    • Swan Hill, Haselbury Plucknett
    • Chard Junction (Station Rd)
    • Wood Close Lane Allowenshey
  12. Driver rescued from flooded carpublished at 16:38 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Photo of car in flood waterImage source, David Osborne

    One driver had a lucky escape after their car drove through a flooded ford in Dowlish Wake near Ilminster.

    Nicki Hanley, landlady of the New Inn Pub, told Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio Somerset: "The car got stuck in a stream that passes over the road. People who don't know the village don't realise it dips at that point.

    "The lady was shaken, we had a few villagers jumped to the rescue. One local got a tractor to try and pull the car out.

    "We got her to the pub, we gave her some spare clothes and then drove her out of the village in the opposite direction. It was a bit scary, but we got her out back to her B&B."

    Woman being rescued from carImage source, Emmeline
  13. Road closed signs a common sightpublished at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Closed road

    Motorists are having to get used to finding their routes blocked as more rain has fallen today.

    This is Stibbear Lane at Donyatt, near Ilminster.

  14. Scenes of flooding across the countypublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Flooding on a rural roadImage source, Jo Tippett

    This is a scene being mirrored across many parts of Somerset.

    High water is coming close to a measuring marker at Scott's Way off of the A356 to West Chinnock.

  15. ‘People don't realise how detrimental water can be’published at 15:59 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Adding to its earlier warning, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said many people don't realise how detrimental water can be to a vehicle.

    Group manager Seán Heighton, said: "Even seemingly shallow water can reach a vehicle's engine, suck water up and cause the car to stall and break down.

    “This is particularly dangerous when on a country road or driving at night, where you may not be able to call for help or where it may take help a long time to reach you.

    "Remember, even in relatively shallow water, a strong current can knock over a person or even pick up a car. Flood water is rarely still water."

  16. A-roads closed by floodingpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    A number of Somerset A-roads are partially closed due to flooding:

    • A358 in both directions closed, delays due to flooding from The George Pub (Peasmarsh) to Church Street (Donyatt)
    • The A356 is shut from the A303 junction to Crewkerne
  17. Flooding delays recycling collections in Somersetpublished at 15:19 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Rubbish bins

    Somerset Council says its recycling teams won't be able to return to households whose collections were missed earlier this week because of flooding.

    This includes around 500 households in Merriott, Crewkerne and Yeovil.

    Recycling crews will be working on Saturday to make up for the missed collections, the council said.

    Residents are being asked to leave their recycling out for a few days, then put it out again next week if it hasn't been collected.

  18. Flooded roads in Haselbury Plucknettpublished at 14:57 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    This photo was taken earlier this morning by Lorraine Hyde in Haselbury Plucknett, near Crewkerne, where the road was underwater.

    Flooded road in Haselbury PlucknettImage source, Lorraine Hyde
  19. Racecourse donates food from flooded meetingpublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    Wincanton Racecourse staff with food that will be donated to a local food bankImage source, Wincanton Racecourse

    Today's meeting at Wincanton Racecourse in Somerset was called off due to the course being waterlogged.

    But the food prepared for customers will not go to waste as managers have announced it will be donating it to the Wincanton Food Bank.

    "Every cloud has a silver lining," the racecourse said

  20. Fire service issues advice to driverspublished at 14:28 Greenwich Mean Time 7 December 2023

    A car being driven through surface water on a roadImage source, PA Media

    Avon Fire and Rescue Service has told drivers to bear the following advice in mind with so many roads flooded or affected by surface water:

    • If you see a flooded road ahead, turn around and find an alternative route
    • Water on the road can be deeper than you think, so don't try and continue through floodwater
    • If you can't go another way, get to higher ground and wait for waters to subside
    • If your car becomes affected by water, consider if safe to get out and if you can, climb to higher ground
    • If you drive through any puddle of a significant size, test your brakes as soon as it's safe to do so
    • In an emergency, always call 999