More than 30 people had to be evacuated from homes in north Wales after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding.
Police declared a major incident in Bangor on Dee as people were asked to leave their homes in parts of Ruthin and the entire village of Bangor on Dee was asked to evacuate in north Wales, and there are concerns that river levels are going to continue to rise.
On Thursday morning, Natural Resources Wales had issued one severe flood warning in the Bangor on Dee area, 39 flood warnings and 51 flood alerts. See live updates in our dedicated Storm Christoph weather blog.
The leader of Wrexham council, Mark Pritchard, said emergency services had worked through the night and added that there had been some emergency work carried out at the Wrexham Industrial Estate to make sure the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine made there was not damaged. Live updates on the situation here.
He told BBC Radio Wales: "We had an incident at Wrexham Industrial Estate, the Oxford vaccination is produced there and the warehouse where it is stored, obviously I can't tell you where it is, but we had to work in partnership to make sure we didn't lose the vaccinations in the floods.
"I've been up all night... it's a very difficult time for us."
Around 56 roads in Wales have also been affected by flooding, including:
- A40 Llangadog, Carmarthenshire closed between Llangadog and Llandovery
- A44 Glanyrafon, Ceredigion, closed between the Lovesgrove Roundabout and the Glanyrafon Industrial Estate
- A458 Llanfair Caereinion, Powys, closed between Bridge Street and Cyfronydd
- A470 Dolgellau Bypass closed to Llanelltyd
- A483 Builth Wells bridge over the River Wyre is closed
- A483 is also closed betwen Newtown and Welshpool.
- A487 Machynlleth, Powys, is closed to Furnace.
- A487 is blocked between Cardigan and Newport
- A490 at Cilcewydd, Powys, is closed up to the A458
- A499 closed between Pwllheli, Gwynedd, and Llanbedrog
A man was rescued from the roof is his car after it was swept away in raging floodwater.
The motorist was trying to ford a flooded road between Llandegai and Bangor, Gwynedd when his car was swept away.
The car was swept into deeper waters and the became trapped but managed to clamber on to the roof of his car and call the emergency services.
North Wales Police has blasted the actions of some coronavirus rule breakers who travelled to the area while the evacuation operation was ongoing on Wednesday night, saying they were putting people’s lives at risk.
A police spokesman said: “Officers have been called to assist colleagues from Denbighshire County Council and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service / Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Gogledd Cymru in Ruthin, where the river has burst its banks and some homes are being evacuated.
Regrettably, people who do not live locally are driving to the area to “see the floods”.
“Not only is this in contravention of the Covid travel restrictions, it is putting lives at risk.
“Emergency services are currently extremely busy trying to keep the public safe across the region - please do not stretch our resources by adding to the problem.”
North Wales Police said its officers were helping the fire service to evacuate homes in Ruthin, Denbighshire, and they urged residents of Bangor on Dee and head to Ysgol Sant Dunawd for shelter after the severe flood warning was issued for Bangor on Dee.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council said that a "minor landslip" had been reported on the mountainside above Pentre.
A statement said an initial investigation had been carried out and there was "no immediate threat to the area."
Further inspections are being carried out on Thursday.
Flood water also had to be pumped out of homes in Pontypridd and Porth on Wednesday evening, cars were pulled from floodwater in Tenby and Dyfed Powys Police are warning of widespread flooding, particularly between Welshpool and Newtown.
There is also havoc on train services with road replacement buses shuttling between all stations Cardiff Central and Bridgend in both directions, and lines closed between Newport and Gloucester, Shrewsbury and Machynlleth and North Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
In England, 2,000 properties in the East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden areas of Greater Manchester and Maghull in Merseyside were evacuated.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier urged people to heed the flood warnings and evacuate their properties when told to do so.
Almost the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are subject to yellow weather warnings for rain until Thursday morning, with a more serious amber warning stretching from the East Midlands to the Lake District.
There is also a Met Office weather warning for ice in parts of north Wales on Thursday morning.
South Wales Police said hailstones and were affecting driving conditions on the M4 between junctions 35 and 37 in Bridgend county.
