Ironbridge prepares for potential flooding as river levels continue to rise

Preparations are being made in case flood defences need to be deployed in Ironbridge as the River Severn continues to feel the impact of the heavy rain this week.

Gully bungs were installed on Friday morning, while the Wharfage car park was sectioned off to allow for the Environment Agency (EA) to deliver flood barriers if required.

Telford & Wrekin Council has reiterated that the EA is not currently expecting to deploy the barriers, but precautions are being made just in case.

There's little change in the forecast river level peaks from Thursday's predictions.

The Severn at Crew Green west of Shrewsbury was expected to peak on Friday morning between 5.8m to 5.9m. As of Friday afternoon, the gauge reading was at 5.83m.

Levels at the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury were expected to reach between 2.9m and 3.2m overnight on Friday. It was sitting at around 2.68m and rising on Friday afternoon.

At Buildwas near Ironbridge, the river was expected to reach between 4.1m and 4.4m on Saturday afternoon, while Bridgnorth is looking to peak at around 3.2m to 3.6m shortly after.

On Friday afternoon, the gauge at Buildwas was reading 4.16m and Bridgnorth 3.45m.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "Further rainfall is forecast over the next 48 hours. We expect river levels to remain high over the next few days. We are closely monitoring the situation.

"Please avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses and avoid contact with flood water."

The Met Office is predicting a few odd showers over the next 48 hours, with the weekend looking windy and cold, but mostly clear.