Flood warnings in place as Storm Bram brings severe disruption to Wales

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issued 18 flood warnings and 42 flood alerts, with river levels remaining dangerously high, as Storm Bram battered the country on Tuesday.

The most serious warnings cover a wide area of mid, west and south Wales, including stretches of the River Towy, River Teifi, River Usk, River Cothi, River Vyrnwy, and River Ely.

Communities in Llandeilo, Carmarthen, Llandysul, Newcastle Emlyn, Pwllheli and Tenby are among those affected by rising waters, with the River Teifi at Llandysul Bridge and Llechryd both placed under newly issued warnings on Tuesday afternoon.

Travel disruption has compounded the impact. Transport for Wales reported the line between Abercynon and Aberdare closed due to severe flooding, while services were reduced between Danescourt and Cardiff Central.

The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge was scheduled to close overnight to allow emergency removal of 35 lighting columns deemed at risk of collapse.

Across the UK and Ireland, Storm Bram caused major disruption: flooding shut parts of the M66 in Greater Manchester, flights were cancelled or diverted at Dublin Airport and several train lines in Scotland and south-west England were forced to close.

By Tuesday evening, NRW’s figures formed part of a wider national picture showing 20 flood warnings in Wales, compared with 37 in England and 33 in Scotland.

A National Grid map showed power outages affecting parts of Wales, particularly in the south-west.

The Met Office warned of gusts of 70–80mph, with coastal areas potentially experiencing winds up to 90mph and large waves posing a risk to properties near the shoreline. It also cautioned about flying debris and dangerous travel conditions.

Further rainfall is expected overnight, and NRW is urging the public to stay alert, avoid flooded roads and follow official advice.

Flood warnings and updates are available on the Natural Resources Wales website.