New storms threaten Britain and France

New storms are threatening to bring more chaos to areas of Britain and France still mopping up after the heavy rains of the past week.

Strong winds and torrential rain are forecast for Sunday, as a low-pressure weather system sweeps in from the Atlantic.

Weathermen are expecting up to two inches of rain to fall on many areas of Britain in a 48-hour period.

France is also braced for a repeat of last week's heavy storms as weather forecasters warned that severe gales and rain would hit the coast overnight.

The French Meteorological Office told residents along the Brittany coastline to expect winds of up to 140 kph (90 mph) as early as Sunday afternoon.

The gales were then forecast to sweep across the north towards Paris, before heading south-west during the night where they would become increasingly violent, it added.

Waves were expected to swell to up to nine metres (30 feet) on the Atlantic coast with rough seas also forecast in the Mediterranean.

VIDEO CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports on the worst flooding Britain has seen in hundreds of years Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The deluge is forecast to begin in southwest England and west Wales, moving across southern England and the Midlands, and hitting northern England on Monday and Tuesday.

The British Government has announced emergency measures to cope with severe nationwide flooding.

Following an emergency Cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said the government would streamline financing of flood relief to ensure resources were available before the new storms struck.

The government also approved an extra £51 million ($76.5 million) for flood defences in England over the next four years.

"This will not alleviate all the suffering and disruption, but I believe it will help people and local authorities cope with a very difficult situation," Prescott said.

An intense storm battered Britain during the past week, with high winds and torrential rain throwing road and rail transport into chaos.

After the storms passed, rainwater steadily drained into the rivers, causing the worst flooding in more than 50 years.

The ancient city of York in northern England -- after suffering its most severe floods in 400 years -- is expected to be hit again by the storms.

The floodwaters wrought havoc in some parts of the historic Roman city with around 1,000 homes experiencing flood damage.

In York, about 200 miles (322 km) north of London, the River Ouse peaked on Saturday just two inches short of the top of the emergency flood barrier.

The level -- 17 feet, 8 inches (5.38m) -- was an inch (2.5 cm) higher than a 1625 flood, the Emergency Agency said.

Environment Agency spokesman Emer O'Connell: "The situation is still very grave. The river level is one inch higher than its previously recorded high and further rain is expected on Sunday and Monday."

The agency said the River Severn was approaching a peak in the western city of Gloucester, where about 20 homes had been flooded.

The Italian tanker Ievoli Sun sank off the coast of Brittany on Tuesday with 6,000 tonnes of toxic chemicals on board after taking on water in rough seas, forcing the evacuation of its 14-man crew by helicopter.

The French Meteorological Office said Sunday's storms would be stronger and more widespread than last week's, but would not reach the intensity of the hurricane-strength winds which reaped destruction across northern France in December 1999.

Several people were killed in Britain, France and Ireland in last week's storms which brought some regions to a virtual standstill as fallen trees and floods shut roads and rail lines.

Battered Britain on flood watch again
Europe on alert for more bad weather

Meteorological Office
Meteo France

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.