HEAVY rain means the river Wye in Herefordshire is rising, with experts saying it will burst its banks overnight.

The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the river Wye through Herefordshire, from Hay-on-Wye to Ross-on-Wye.

The alert said river levels are forecast to rise at the Old Wye Bridge river gauge as a result of heavy rainfall, and the A438 Brecon Road at Letton could end up flooded.

RELATED NEWS

It expects roads and farmland to flood between 6am and 2pm on Frday.

"We expect flooding to affect low-lying land and roads along the river Wye from Hay-on-Wye to Ross-on-Wye," the warning said.

"Other locations that may be affected include the A438, Byford, Bredwardine and Hereford."

Predicted river Wye peaks:

  • Hay-on-Wye at 1.4m to 1.8m this evening
  • Old Wye Bridge 3.0m to 3.4m Friday morning
  • Mordiford 3.4m to 3.7m Friday afternoon
  • Ross-on-Wye 3.3m to 3.6m Friday evening

Further rainfall is forecast over the next 24 hours.

"We expect river levels to remain high until Sunday," the Environment Agency added.

OTHER NEWS:

"We are closely monitoring the situation. Our incident response staff are checking defences.

"Please avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses."

Want to get the latest breaking news alerts sent straight to you? It's easy, just sign up for our breaking news email alerts here and the most important stories will be delivered straight to your inbox.

A flood alert has also been issued for the river Lugg south of Leominster and the river Leadon catchment.

When a flood alert is issued, people affected should pack a bag ready to leave their homes, check they know how to turn off gas, electric and water supplies and plan how to move family and pets to safety.

Heavy rain hit the county on Thursday afternoon, leaving several roads around the county with standing water.