A major incident has been declared as Storm Claudia continues to batter through the UK.
Emergency teams issued a critical situation in Monmouth during the early hours of Saturday morning as extensive flooding engulfed the Welsh town and neighbouring areas.
Some businesses and homes in the town centre are underwater after the river Monnow burst its banks, with some locals even being evacuated to a nearby library.
Natural Resources Wales warned of severe danger to life across four locations by 6am.
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The multi-agency response involves Gwent Police, Welsh Ambulance Services, SARA, Mountain Rescue, the Coastguard and additional fire services to help evacuate residents from flood-affected properties.
Area Manager Matt Jones described the rescue efforts as extremely demanding, with rapid water flows, impassable roads and strained infrastructure creating hazardous conditions.
"This is a large-scale incident, and our crews and partners have been working tirelessly through the night and into today to help those affected," he said.
Mr Jones expressed gratitude for the emergency teams' dedication while issuing an urgent appeal for residents to completely avoid travelling to Monmouth.
Emergency teams issued a critical situation in Monmouth during the early hours of Saturday morning as extensive flooding engulfed the Welsh town and neighbouring areas
|X (LAURE ANNE JONES MS)
"The flooding is significant, and we need to keep routes clear to allow emergency services to reach the people who need us most," he explained, advising anyone facing immediate danger to contact 999.
Storm Claudia's impact extended far beyond Monmouth.
Elsewhere in Wales, central regions experienced particularly intense rainfall on Friday evening, prompting an amber weather alert that remained until nearly midnight on Friday.
One monitoring station recorded precipitation exceeding 60 per cent of the typical monthly rainfall already.
The Environment Agency have also reported over 90 flood warnings throughout England and Wales on Saturday morning.
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The Met Office showed how rain ripped through parts of England and Wales on Friday evening
|THE MET OFFICE
The Met Office confirmed persistent drizzle and scattered showers would continue to affect both countries on Saturday.
Forecasters warned additional rainfall could exacerbate flooding conditions, especially across eastern England and County Down in Northern Ireland.
Britain also now faces a dramatic temperature plunge as Arctic conditions sweep southward from Sunday, replacing the current wet, albeit relatively mild, weather.
Sub-zero temperatures and even snowfall are expected for some.
The UK Health Security Agency has activated a cold weather alert from 8am Monday until 8am Friday, affecting the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West and Yorkshire regions.
Some businesses and homes in the town centre are underwater
|X (LAURE ANNE JONES MS)
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick warned northerly winds would introduce Arctic air masses overnight Saturday.
"I think people are really going to notice a chill into Sunday and feeling cold in many areas," she said.
Meanwhile, chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said some areas could see up to a month's worth of rain between Friday and Saturday alone.
National Rail has warned that delays and cancellations are expected over the weekend.
Chiltern Railways, TransPennine Express, Northern, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry have issued customers a warning that services will most likely be impacted.
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