Storm Dennis roared across Britain with high winds and heavy rains yesterday, prompting some 350 flood warnings including a red alert for south Wales.
The Meteorological Office only issues its highest warning when it thinks the weather will be so bad there's a "danger to life."
It was the first time the service has issued such a warning since 2015.
Hours later, the red alert was downgraded to amber, which still warned of significant impacts from flooding.
Experts predicted that up to 140 millimeters of rain could fall in south Wales before easing. The River Taff had already burst its banks in the Welsh town of Pontypool.
Flood warnings were in place yesterday from the north of Scotland through to Cornwall in southwest England.
Although forecasters expected the worst to have passed by today flood warnings could remain in place as much land remained saturated from last week's Storm Ciara, which left eight people dead across Europe."While the heaviest rain has cleared from Northern Ireland and Scotland, England and Wales will continue to see heavy rain with a risk of severe flooding in places,'' Met Office chief Andy Page said.
The fourth named storm of Europe's winter season was blamed early on for the deaths of two men pulled from the sea.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled due to high winds and train services were disrupted by flooding, affecting thousands of passengers on a key weekend after schools closed for the mid-winter break.
