Coopers Meadow and walkways on either side of the River Kennet were flooded today (Sunday) as the deluge returned following a warning red sky in the morning.
Richard Beale, the town council’s head gardener, sealed off the pathways as the water crept up the banks and buildings on the edge of the Kennet as the river rise higher and higher.
“It’s terrible,” said Mr Beale as he taped off the footpath on the edge of Coopers Meadow. “I’ve never seen it as bad as this. And there is more rain to come.”
An Environment Agency flood warning report showed the Kennet at only 0.56 metres at 10.30am, but it has risen significantly since then.
“It looks ominous,” said one passer-by skipping over the puddles surrounding the Coopers Meadow footpath bridge. “This is the worst I’ve seen it since the last flood alert.
“What’s worrying is that the rain doesn’t seem to stop and the weather reports say there is more to come.”