Five dead and thousands left without power after Britain hit by flooding and storms

Heavy rain and thawing snow caused flooding across Britain this weekend as Storm Bert battered the country, with five deaths reported.

- Jamie Grierson, Hannah Al-Othman, Harry Taylor

Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough council declared an emergency as flood waters rose across the region yesterday. Rising waters were affecting towns including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare.

The River Taff in Pontypridd topped its banks near Sion Street, flooding homes there and in Berw Road on the other side of the river. Businesses in Mill Street were also breached and forced to close.

Residents resorted to baling out their front yards with buckets, as firefighters attempted to pump the water from the street.

Ian Dewhurst leapt in his car 100 miles away in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after receiving a phone call from his distressed daughter, who moved into Sion Street two weeks ago. The deluge came close to breaching the reinforced metal floodgate that protects her home. "The river level when she moved in was metres below that," Dewhurst said.

In Mill Street, Steve Western decided to close his business. "We've cleared the office and turned the electrics off," he said. "We're just waiting for the water to recede now really and we'll go and help clear out the other shops."

Rest centres were set up for affected people at Pontypridd library, Ystrad sports centre, Sobell leisure centre in Aberdare and Cynon Valley indoor bowls centre in Mountain Ash.

In North Wales, five adults and five children had to be rescued from a house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen, following a landslide, North Wales fire and rescue service said.