Nearly 150 flood alerts in place across England in aftermath of Storm Chandra

Nearly 150 flood alerts remain in place across England as communities continue grappling with the aftermath of Storm Chandra.A yellow rain alert spanning from noon to midnight on Thursday has been issued for parts of south-west England, with the Met Office warning that more flooding could hit roads, homes and businesses.The alert covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay and Wiltshire.A further yellow warning for rain spanning from 6am on Friday until 9am on Saturday has been issued for Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.The Met Office said the heavy rain could lead to power cuts, travel disruption and further flooding.Flood water in Burrowbridge, Somerset; a major incident has been declared in the county. Photograph: Zoe Head-Thomas/PAThis comes as the Environment Agency said 147 properties were flooded in Somerset and Dorset as a result of the storm.A major incident has been declared in Somerset, with Bill Revans, the leader of the local council, saying teams had worked “through the night” and responded “to many reports of roads which remain impassable”.“Our priority is to support our most vulnerable residents and to make sure people are aware that help is available,” he said.A third yellow warning for rain spanning from midnight to 6pm on Friday has been issued for most of Northern Ireland.Across England, 66 flood warnings, indicating that flooding is expected, remained in place on Thursday. A further 149 flood alerts, warning that flooding is possible, also remained in force.On Thursday, the Environment Agency said a severe “danger to life” flood warning for the Lower Stour at Iford Bridge Home Park, Bournemouth, was no longer in place, but it warned that “water levels remain high and people who have evacuated their homes should follow the advice of local response partners about when it is safe to return”.A Met Office spokesperson said outbreaks of heavy rain were expected to arrive across Cornwall on Friday morning.“10mm to 20mm rainfall is likely widely, with up to 30mm [1in] possible over the moors and perhaps west Cornwall,” they said. “Strong winds are also likely in places.”The RNLI also warned people to be vigilant near the coast in Devon and Cornwall as waves up to 15ft high (4.6 metres) could hit exposed beaches, topping over seafronts and harbour walls.