FIVE DEAD IN STORM

Forecasters say chaos could last until Wednesday

- LUCY THORNTON

FIVE people have died as Storm Bert unleashed 80% of a month's rainfall in just 48 hours.

A double-whammy of heavy rain and thawing snow sparked chaos across England and Wales.

And the Environment Agency warned the flooding could continue until Wednesday, with 200 red flood alerts in place across the UK.

The Met Office described it as a multi-hazard weather event, with snow, ice, rain and high winds.

Tens of thousands of homes were left without power and there were delays to flights and public transport.

Roads were blocked by landslides and town centres left under water over the weekend.

The body of Brian Perry, 75, was found yesterday. He had gone missing in the River Conwy on Saturday at around 4.30pm, while out with his wife near Trefriw, in North Wales.

A man in his 60s died on Saturday morning after a tree fell on his Mercedes E350 on the A34 near Winchester, Hants.

In West Yorkshire, police said a 34-year-old man died in a crash on an icy road at 12.59am on Saturday.

A man in his 40s also died in a collision on the A45 near Flore, Northants, at 8.20am on Saturday.

And a man in his 80s died after his car entered water near Colne on Saturday. Lancashire police said his body was recovered from the water in Foulridge shortly after 4.15pm.

Most parts of England and Wales were affected, with floods and fallen trees in areas as far apart as Lancashire, Essex and Devon.