Persistent heavy rainfall has led to widespread flooding and disruptions across Wales, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning for significant rainfall across mid and southeast Wales from 15:00 GMT on Sunday until early Monday morning.
Forecasters predicted continuous heavy downpours, transitioning to showers by Monday, with rainfall totals expected to reach between 50mm and 100mm, resulting in extensive surface and river flooding.
Gale-force winds exceeding 70mph were also recorded in various parts of Wales and Scotland, exacerbating travel disruptions throughout Sunday.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) responded by issuing four flood warnings and 23 flood alerts across several river regions including the Cothi, Towy, Tawe, Neath, Ely, and Usk.
Rail services suffered as flooding obstructed lines between Penrhiwceiber and Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf and near Fernhill, prompting rail operators to substitute trains with buses between Aberdare and Pontypridd.
In Monmouthshire, floodwaters necessitated the closure of the A4042 in both directions between Llanellen and the A40 Hardwick Roundabout in Abergavenny.
The amber alert spanned across multiple counties including Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan.
North Wales Police also reported closures due to flooding near the Royal Victoria Hotel on the A4086 road at Llanberis.
Proactive measures were taken on Sunday evening as thousands of sandbags were distributed in Rhondda Cynon Taf, where emergency crews and heavy machinery were placed on standby.
Council leader Andrew Morgan confirmed the deployment of pumps and additional personnel, including drainage engineers to manage the situation.
The local authority also activated its emergency control room, closely monitoring key areas through CCTV.
Residents were advised to relocate their vehicles from vulnerable areas, with free parking offered to those affected.
Mick Antoniw, MS for Pontypridd, reported that preventative measures like floodgates had been deployed in critical areas of the town, although the River Taff levels were notably high, no street flooding had occurred yet.
Local resident James Wilcox, who was walking his dog in the area, noted the heightened community response, including the strategic placement of sandbags and active involvement by local police to ensure public safety.
