Flooding was expected in seven areas of eastern, central and southwest England on Sunday after stormy weather led to the death of a crewman in the North Sea and the rescue of 17 anglers from the waves.
The Environment Agency placed another 89 areas in England and Wales on flood alert, meaning flooding is possible, while anglers were warned to take care and check weather conditions before setting out.
A crewman on an emergency vessel in the North Sea died Saturday and 11 others were winched to safety after stormy seas overwhelmed the ship on an oilfield off Scotland.
The Vos Sailor was operating over the Balmoral oilfield 120 miles (195 kilometres) off northeastern Scotland when it made a mayday call at 0430 GMT amid waves more than 20 feet (six metres) high and winds of over 70 miles per hour.
The ship, which reports said had been on standby in the area, was damaged and took on water, while one man was fatally injured. His body has not yet been recovered, Grampian Police said.
Coastguard vessels and helicopters were sent to the scene and rescued the other 11 people on board.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency meanwhile said it had airlifted one injured person to safety after 15 anglers were knocked over by a freak wave on Roker Pier in Sunderland in the northwest.
Another two were caught up in a fast-flowing stream between Peterlee and Hartlepool in the same area, with one swept out to sea before being rescued, it said.
Alexi Boothman, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “The recent cold weather has meant the ground is quite frozen and we won’t have the absorption of water. When there is sudden, sharp showers, like we are seeing, the water is not being absorbed and creates flood risks.
“Many areas are likely to have showers into tomorrow, particularly in the south-west of England and moving into Wales.”
Flood alerts in place after North Sea storm kills 1
