River Usk flood alert for Newport and Monmouthshire

This afternoon (Sunday, February 13), Natural Resources Wales has placed the region on alert, following several hours of rainfall and poor weather.

The alert, first issued at 3.30pm, covers the entire length of the river in Gwent, from the Powys border, as far as the river mouth at the Bristol Channel.

A separate warning is in place in Powys for the river, too, with water levels currently measured at 2.2 metres at Brecon Promenade.

But, the river is currently at its highest in Abergavenny at this time, where the most recent reading saw water levels at 2.69 metres.

The flood alert currently in place (Credit: Natural Resources Wales)

Here, flooding is not uncommon, with the storms of early 2020 causing the River Usk to overflow into the Gwent town, causing damage which took a significant amount of time to repair.

Elsewhere, water levels in the town of Usk are said to be at 1.81 metres at this time.

It is not known the exact water level in Newport itself this evening, though the city has experienced rain for most of the day.

The flood alert for the region is one of 21 which have been issued today by Natural Resources Wales, as a result of the sustained period of poor weather of the last few hours.

Meanwhile, a further update is expected at 8pm.

What to do during a flood alert?

Natural Resources Wales operate using a three tier system, which is in place across the UK.

And, according to this system, a flood alert is the lowest of three possible flood risks.

Essentially, those in flood alert areas are told to prepare, in case the situation changes.

People in these areas are advised to prepare a bag containing medicines and insurance documents, as a precaution, and to plan in case they may need to leave.

Should the situation take a turn for the worse, and be escalated to a flood warning; gas, water, and electricity should be turned off.

Possessions should be moved either upstairs or to safety, and family, pets, and vehicles should also be moved to safety.

The third tier is the severe flood warning, where 999 should be called in the event that a person finds themselves in immediate danger.

More information can be found on the UK Government website here.

What does the forecast show?

While rain has fallen across the region for most of the day, the worst of it appears to be over.

For the most part, Newport can expect a dry, but cloudy night – with a few short showers overnight.

It is largely the same story in Monmouthshire too.

But, the main cause for concern in terms of the River Usk is further upstream, where there has been a yellow weather warning in place for rain.

While the worst of it is likely to pass by 6pm, rain is set to continue to fall overnight in Powys.