Heavy rain brings some flooding and disruption

Heavy rain caused some disruption on Monday after an amber weather warning was in place for south Wales.

The Met Office said heavy rain was expected over south Wales from late Sunday and throughout Monday.

A yellow warning of rain was also in place for mid and north Wales on Monday, with the Afon Glaslyn in Beddgelert, Gwynedd, nearly overtopping the garden wall of a house nearby.

The weather alerts come two weeks after danger to life flood warnings were issued and homes and businesses in Monmouth and elsewhere hit after rivers burst their banks.

Both the amber and yellow warnings for rain were lifted at 21:00 GMT on Monday.

Officials had urged people to be vigilant and to make preparations for potential flooding.

"We also want to remind people to keep away from swollen riverbanks and not to drive or walk through flood waters as you don't know what lies beneath," said Richard Preece from Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

As of Monday evening, NRW had issued eight flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - and 45 flood alerts.

In Gwynedd, flooding led to the A4085 being closed in both directions between Waunfawr and Rhyd Ddu, and between Pont Aberglaslyn and Llanfrothen.

Pembrokeshire council said on Monday that "widespread flooding" was being reported across the county, "especially on back roads and at hotspots".

"Our teams have been and continue to be extremely busy responding to requests in challenging conditions," they said, reporting a number of road closures across the county.

Emma Harris, acting headteacher at Pendoylan Church in Wales Primary School in Vale of Glamorgan, advised parents to pick pupils up early on Monday due to the flooding.

"Because of the excessive rain and the build up on either side of the lanes, for children's safety we have advised parents if they would like, to collect their children early," she said.

"They [the nearby fields] do flood, but this is exceptional, and it's come right up to the school boundaries, so this is something different."

In Pontypridd town centre on Monday afternoon there were sandbags outside many shops as businesses prepared for bad weather.

On Mill Street, which has been hit by flooding before, pumps were ready if needed - there were also pumps by the River Taff, the levels of which have been high all day with the river fast-flowing.

On Sion Street, where houses sit right by the river, the water level was high but well below the wall that protects the river bank.

It has been raining on and off this afternoon in the town, sometimes heavily, but so far the council says these measures are just a precaution.

But for a town which has been hit badly on a number of occasions, and with more rain expected on Monday evening, people are doing their best to be prepared.

Additional reporting by Leigh Boobyer