10:41AM, Sat Jul 7, 2012

Sandbags At The Ready: Storms Move South But Warnings Remain

By Andy Hughes, Joe Daunt and Hugh Macknight Location: Tyne and Wear

Video: Gateshead Council prepares for the risk of more flooding

Environment Agency special operations teams are poised to take emergency action to fight floods caused by forecast heavy rains.

But they have been left breathing a sigh of relief after storms set to drench the region moved south instead.

They warned to expect thunderstorms and heavy rain but no repeat - hopefully - of the deluge seen during the Newcastle Superstorm.

Local authorities and businesses have been filling and laying sandbags after the Met Office forecast a month's worth of rain over two days.

With the ground already saturated following the storms of June 28, the Environment Agency teams are out across Tyne and Wear to clear culverts, check flood defences and monitor river levels, seen here.

An Environment Agency spokesman urged people to remain vigilant of the 'fast moving' weather system, but said: "We have had no reports of flooding at all.

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Picture gallery

Environment Agency photo of workers clearing flood debris from Smallhope Burn watercourse just outside Lanchester village.

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"There may be some surface water flooding in places but nothing like as bad as expected.

"Concern has shifted away from the North East; the rain shifted south west and fell mainly over South Yorkshire.

"There will still be thunder showers across the region and they can be unpredictable and there is still water saturating fields which could cause problems on some roads."

A Northumbria Police spokesman said there were no road closures but rain had gathered on some road surfaces.

Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Teesside, North Northumberland and County Durham, but none for the Tyne Wear area.

Flood alerts were issued for the River Ouse Burn in Newcastle and the Lower River Wear from Escomb to Chester-le-street.

If necessary, the Environment Agency will issue further flood alerts and flood warnings here.

In North Tyneside, flood patrols including specially equipped vehicles will be monitoring at-risk locations, including the 300 homes affected on June 28.

Gateshead Council has been co-ordinating preparations from its depot on Felling Road, distributing hundreds of sandbags to schools and council buildings.

400 have been laid at the Joseph Swan Academy on Saltwell Road which is closed until further notice following catastrophic flood damage during the previous week's superstorm when two inches of rain fell in a two-hour period.

To see the map showing the Met Office Amber Warning area click here.