Storm Callum: Village's evacuation warning and people rescued from train
A village is on evacuation alert and passengers have been rescued from a train as Storm Callum hits Wales.
Residents of 29 homes on Canal Side in Aberdulais, near Neath, have been advised to leave their homes because of high river levels. The Met Office issued an amber warning for heavy rain on Friday and Saturday for south Wales, while the whole country has a warning for wind. Thousands of homes have been without power, roads shut and trains cancelled. Fire crews were called to a train stuck in floodwater at Penrhiwceiber, near Mountain Ash, and up to 30 passengers evacuated from the Valley Lines train. Trains between Cardiff and Aberdare are cancelled as a result as commuters face transport chaos on the Friday night journey home. Trains between Swansea and Carmarthen stopped running at 19:00 on Friday evening due to anticipated coastal flooding. The M48 Severn crossing near Chepstow is closed eastbound and closed to high-sided vehicles westbound. The A55 Britannia Bridge near Bangor is also only open to cars and vans, but a 30 mph speed limit has been lifted. Gusts hit 72mph (116km) at Capel Curig in Conwy with 15mm (0.6in) of rain falling in three hours near St Davids. A number of flood warnings were also issued on Friday afternoon, with more than 30 further flood alerts. The rivers Neath and Dulais converge at Aberdulais where preparations have begun to evacuate residents. Local councillor Doreen Jones said officials are hoping that river levels will stay where they are. Elsewhere, Natural Resources Wales deployed pumps as a precaution in Carmarthenshire area as river levels continued to rise on Friday evening. How is transport affected? Motorists have faced major problems between Anglesey and the mainland with the with the Britannia Bridge closed to all vehicles other than cars and vans, though the A5025 Pentraeth Road near Menai Bridge has now re-opened. The A465 Heads of the Valleys road is closed at Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taff due to flooding. Arriva Trains Wales said a bus replacement service was in place for commuters from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, between Machynlleth and Pwlleli, also in Gwynedd and between Aberdare and Fernhill. It has also published an amended timetable for Saturday. The A5114 Glanhwfa Road at Llangefni, A4215 at Defynnog in Powys and A4059 in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff are all closed. The A5 Eastbound from Bethesda to Capel Curig has also been closed due to a landslip, and police have said it will remain closed overnight. Dyfed-Powys Police has urged motorists to take care on rural roads. Ferry crossings to Ireland are expected to be heavily disrupted. Both Irish Ferries and Stena Line have cancelled crossings between Wales and Ireland on Friday. What about flooding and power cuts? Western Power Distribution says thousands of customers are without power, mainly due to falling branches and debris damaging lines. Properties in Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Newport and the Whitchurch and Llanishen areas of Cardiff, were all affected. Bryngwran School on Anglesey was also closed due to a lack of electricity. Heavy rain is expected to cause flooding on a number of rivers, including the Towy in Carmarthen where the quayside road is now closed. Natural Resources Wales has now issued a number of flood warnings, which advises people to take "immediate action". Volunteers have been building a 300m (984ft) sandbag 'wall' to help protect Grade I listed Gwydir Castle, near Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley, from flood damage. What is the forecast? The worst of the rain is expected to be on south and south-facing hills, with 120mm to 160mm (4.7in to 6.3in) predicted, according to the Met Office. The yellow warning for wind affects the whole country while the majority of Wales is covered by a yellow warning for rain. Motorists have been warned to be prepared for poor driving conditions. The yellow warnings for wind and rain last until midnight, but the amber warning for rain across south Wales is set to last until 18:00 on Saturday. Wind speeds are expected to drop slightly, but rain is likely to be set in until Sunday, which will be cooler but is set to be dry as the storm passes. Amber warnings can mean: