Please be assured, the Council has all available resources working in our communities today, conducting proactive activities and getting ready to respond to any instances of flooding.
The Amber weather warning for heavy rain covering the South Wales area, including the whole of Rhondda Cynon Taf, lasts up until 9pm tonight (Monday, December 1). It will then change to a Yellow weather warning until midnight – and remains subject to Met Office updates.
Current forecasts suggest the next wave of intense rainfall will be this afternoon, and followed by another into the evening.
We have around 90 operatives focusing on our highway network at this time, made up of Council staff and external contractors. They are conducting proactive work and are ready to be deployed to any issues that arise.
Around 30 cleansing staff are also working throughout the weather warning period, to help keep drains and key routes clear. They’ll also be delivering sandbags, which will be prioritised for those properties most at risk of flooding.
The Council has put in place water pumps at key locations in Treherbert and Treforest, as well as at Mill Street in Pontypridd – ready to use as and when they are needed. The image of Egypt Street in Treforest (left), taken during a previous storm event, shows an example of our equipment in place today. The image on the right, at Mill Street in Pontypridd, was taken this morning.
We also have rapid-deployment pumps available that we can send to any new issues that develop.
In addition to the resources on the ground, we also have a team of officers from across Council departments who are constantly monitoring the weather and the forecast. They are using our emergency, multi-agency CCTV control room to monitor key culverts and other infrastructure in real time, so we can best allocate resources.
If you do need to travel today, please allow extra time for possible delays. Motorists should drive to the conditions on the road, and avoid driving through standing water.
Keep following this Facebook page throughout the storm event – we’ll be posting key updates for residents.
Council resources are on standby in the town centre, as a precautionary measure in case of any flooding issues during the current Amber weather warning.
Be reminded that #Pontypridd Town Centre remains OPEN today, with businesses trading as usual. Please also be assured that Council resources are on standby in the town centre, as a precautionary measure in case of any flooding issues during the current Amber weather warning.
As shown in the images taken this morning, several water pumps are in position – repeating our approach from Storm Claudia in November. Crews are ready to respond to mitigate any possible issues that may arise during the heavy rain that is forecast.
The Council’s resources are at Mill Street (example pictured, top), supported by Welsh Water’s presence at Gas Road Car Park (pictured, bottom row), which all link to the same drainage lines. These are helping to protect Taff Street and Mill Street.
Please also note that Gas Road Car Park will not accept new vehicles parking from 5pm today. Those with vehicles in the car park are asked to vacate by 6pm.
This is a precautionary approach based on the Met Office forecast for heavy rain under an Amber weather warning until 9pm tonight, and the current Flood Alert issued for the River Taff by Natural Resources Wales – which has responsibility for managing main rivers.
As noted above, Pontypridd Town Centre remains open as usual for visitors. The Council will communicate with residents and businesses on the ground if the situation changes.
Please be reassured that our proactive approach is precautionary at this time, and that we are continually monitoring today’s storm event. All available resources are on standby to help if they are needed.
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