This morning many roads are closed or flooded, and people are making their way through the water the best way they can.

Caldecott is virtually an island: The Drayton Road is flooded.
Ock Street is flooded as are residences either side

Spring Road is flooded at the bottom.

Much of Ladygrove Estate is flooded, and water is still rolling into Wordsworth Road on the Tithe Farm estate. People are just watching it inch up nearer their houses, hoping it will stop. The peak is reported to be 3 PM this afternoon.

The Hermitage Road estate is flooded, as are Turbeville Close. The elderly people from places like Cygnet Court and Ladygrove Paddock were evacuated last night and taken initially to the Guildhall. Some have been collected by relatives. Some have been found housing by the Vale. Others will be there for another night, and may be joined by others if the flooding continues to get worse.

The Thames is not such a problem yet. It could be within another 24 hours.

Tesco carpark is underwater. People were being hurried out from 9:30 PM. A tide of water was coming across the carpark from the direction of the River Ock.

This all happened within minutes. It must have taken everybody by suprise.

The environment agency has a Flood Warning out for the River Ock: Flooding expected affecting homes, businesses and main roads. Act now!

The fireworks went off at Midnight. The queue to the Book Store tailed back – along the precinct – to New Look . A shop assistant pushed round the trolley of free sweets.

This phenomena has been repeated at midnight every time a new Harry Potter book is released. This time far more people were dressed up.

In the aftermath of the heavy rain the river continues to rise and will continue to rise for a day or so. Red signs are out warning boats to stay put, and that means securing themselves with anchors. The pegs are in very soft ground.

The lock keeper is letting more water through at the weir. Water had found a way over the footpath at the top of the weir in any case.

All the gates are open at the weir.

Elsewhere, I see the museum is closed due to flooding of the basement. And in Steventon the fire engines were called to help pump away water.