Lancashire flooding: St Michaels residents evacuated for second time

Families in a Lancashire village were forced to leave their homes for a second time after a severe flood warning, while alerts remain in place for large parts of the north.

Many people in St Michaels were advised to leave their properties on Saturday night amid renewed fears about water levels in the River Wyre.

The "danger to life" warning remained in force until 11:30 GMT on Sunday.

Flood warnings have also been issued across Yorkshire and north Wales.

Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Liz Truss has set up a group to work on new flood protection measures for Cumbria in the wake of Storm Desmond.

More than 10 flood warnings remain in place, external requiring residents to take immediate action, with more than 30 flood alerts advising householders to be prepared.

Most of the alerts are across northern England and north and mid Wales, with large parts of east Lancashire as well as West Yorkshire and Cumbria affected. Flood barriers have also been erected in Shrewsbury.

In Yorkshire warnings include the River Ouse in York, the River Aire in parts of Leeds and the River Calder in Wakefield.

Fifteen people were rescued from vehicles across West Yorkshire overnight, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said, and about 20 homes were also flooded in the region.

Lancashire Police advised affected residents in St Michaels to gather at a local pub as a precaution, with overnight accommodation provided at Garstang Leisure Centre.

Many people had only just returned to the village after leaving their homes due to a previous flood warning on Thursday.

The fresh flood warnings come after large parts of Cumbria and Lancashire experienced a week of severe disruption due to flooding.

The weather was expected to improve throughout Sunday, the Environment Agency said, but people were urged to remain vigilant.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said rising river levels had subsided by 15:30 GMT and the situation at St Michaels had moved into a "recovery process".

Lower levels of rainfall are forecast over the coming days.

Energy and climate change secretary Amber Rudd was asked on The Andrew Marr Show if she agreed the flooding in Cumbria could be attributed to climate change.

She said there are "trends" of severe weather events which are caused by climate change.

"I wouldn't pin individual storms to those, but I would say that addressing dangerous climate change is about security for people and making sure that for the long-term future they are not impacted by really dangerous weather events," she said.

She also insisted plans were in place to put more money into flood defences and protect a further 300,000 people from dangerous flooding.

Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency

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