Emergency services stay on high alert
Emergency services will remain on high alert for further flooding tonight.
Over 30 flood warnings are in place in the South West but there are no 'Severe' flood warnings in place with the high tide around 8pm tonight is expected to be lower than last night.
However Met Office warnings against severe wind and rain will continue to remain in place through to the evening with a further weather warning for rain issued for Sunday.
The poor weather and flooding is still causing travel disruptions to much of the county today with a lightning and hail storm knocking out several traffic lights and rail signals.
Roads have been also affected by the severe weather with several accidents taking place today due to hazardous driving conditions.
The ambulance service has attended 13 accidents this morning and is urging people to stay aware of the road conditions.
One man has died after his car left the road and collided with trees on the A30 near Two Bridges, Launceston in Cornwall.
The road is remaining closed and Police have said they do not know when it will re-open.
The A380 in Marldon saw a vehicle overturn and causing delays southbound between Preston Downs Roundabout and TweenawayCross.
Cars have also collided on the A35 and on the M5 between Exeter and Cullompton earlier today due to standing water on the roads.
The Esplanade in Exmouth, Wilder Road in Ilfracombe and Ferry Road Topsham are all closed in both directions in places due to the flooding
The A379, the A385 and the A386 are open but are should be approached with care also due to flooding on the road.
Exmouth seafront remains closed as the weather continues to pose a risk to the public.
The rail service out of Exeter St. David’s is still being affected by signalling problems caused by this morning’s lightning storm
First Great Western are advising their passengers not to travel unless it is essential to do so.
The signalling problem means trains cannot run between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth. Buses will run between these stations, extending journey times by up to 30 minutes.
More Signalling problems near Liskeard and also at Totnes are also causing disruption between Penzance and Newton Abbot.
Trains are currently unable to run between Penzance and Plymouth, while trains between Plymouth and Exeter St Davids may be delayed by up to 60 minutes.
The Exeter to Barnstaple service is also seeing delays of up to 30 minutes due to flooding.
Emergency services are urging people to be careful driving in standing water as several people have had to be rescued from cars stranded in flood water.
Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "I'm ensuring that all is being done to help with the floods. There'll be a Cobra meeting shortly and regular updates from @EnvAgency."
Meanwhile the Environment Agency has confirmed that it will be cutting over 1,500 jobs including those working in flood protection.
The jobs will be cut as part of the government’s austerity cuts but it is not yet clear how many flood related jobs will be cut.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said the agency was making its own choices about "how best to use their resources".
Speaking after today's emergency Cobra meeting, environment minister ,Owen Paterson, said frontline flood defence services were not expected to be part of the agency's cut backs.
"Like all departments, this department has had to make efficiencies given the dire financial position we inherited when we came to office." Said Mr Paterson.
He continued: "I had a meeting this morning with the chief executive of the Environment Agency. He has assured me he has every intention of protecting front-line services concerned with flooding."
Deputy General Secretary of professional union Prospect, Leslie Manasseh said: "Last week David Cameron praised Environment Agency staff for doing an amazing job with the floods and extreme weather. It's typical that as soon as there is a crisis, the politicians immediately turn to the specialists and professionals with the scientific knowledge and skills to step in and protect the public.
"Yet they expect the managers running such vital services to be forced to focus on how to make cuts, diverting them from their vital work providing flood warnings, repairing damage, maintaining flood defences and planning ahead for future crises of this nature.
"We urge the government to stop these cuts in their tracks and call an immediate review. They need to learn the lessons of the experiences of this winter, which have had such a devastating impact on so many people."
