Forecasters measured the most rainfall at Maerdy, a Welsh village in Glamorgan, that saw a total of 151.6mm in 48 hours. The deluge is more than 110.8mm average recorded in Wales in February.
Major incidents were declared due to flooding in South Wales as well as in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, while a record number of flood warnings and alerts were issued by the Environment Agency (EA).
Terrifying footage showed cars submerged over the weekend while landslides hit areas around South Wales.
One stranded family was rescued by climbing through a window of their home into the bucket of a farmer’s tractor.
Amy Price, her parents and their two dogs were trapped for nine hours in their house on the banks of the River Usk in the Monmouthshire countryside.
Amy, 25, said. “There was four-and-a-half feet of water in the house – all we could do was huddle together upstairs to keep warm.
“We had no heating, no electricity, no food, and no water.
“I was really scared – I was very glad to hear the tractor coming towards us.”’
Also among the wreckage was a Tanzanian ghost ship, washed up on the Coast of Ireland yesterday.
The Alta, a Tanzanian-flagged cargo vessel, had already floated for thousands of miles without a soul on board when it was found at Ballycotton, County Cork on Sunday.
It had been adrift since October 2018, when the US Coast Guard rescued its crew of ten men 1,300 miles southeast of Bermuda.
Storm Ellen will be named by the Met Office when an Atlantic weather system has potential for amber warnings.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “There’s the briefest of respites ahead of yet another Atlantic surge.”
The Met Office has warned that heavy and frequent showers will hit today ahead of snow, while gales will develop from Wednesday to Friday.
FLOOD HERO, 84, BATTLES TO SAVE PUB AND HOME
Tom Bedford
A BRAVE flood hero who battled to save his village pub was later forced to wade waist deep in water in his own home.
Retired miner Brian Owen spent Saturday night pumping water out of the Quaker’s Arms pub on the banks of the River Taff in South Wales.
But when he got home at midnight the floodwater was lapping at his own front door.
Relatives have now run an extension cable from a nearby building so the pensioner can make himself a cup of tea.
Worried Mr Owen, 84, had to pull on a pair of waders at 2am, after the water started going over the top of his wellies.
He said: “It wasn’t long before my waders started taking in water – it was above the radiators and touching the top of the kitchen sink.
“It was quite frightening but luckily the electric light stayed on so I could see what I was doing.
“I was wading around trying to save things but it was impossible.”
“It came in so quickly and with some force, nothing would have stopped it.”
Mr Owen and his family were yesterday mopping up the brown sludge that had invaded the ground floor of his home.
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The Met Office yesterday issued a Red Warning for rain – the highest warning level – for the first time since December 2015.
South Wales Police said it had been dealing with “multiple” landslides and floods – some trapping residents.
One of the worst-hit areas in South Wales was the village of Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taff, near Cardiff, where entire streets have been left underwater since the early hours of this morning.
There is currently no COBRA meeting scheduled to discuss the weather chaos, despite new Environment Secretary George Eustice insisting ministers have a “firm grip” on the situation.
Museum worker Robin Williams, 62, of Pontypridd, South Wales said: “Where’s Boris? Where’s the help?”
Robin and wife Tracey 55, had moved into their home just one year ago.
Tracey, who works in a care home, said: “We haven’t long been here and a lot of our stuff was new.
“I asked the council for sandbags but they said you have to wait until the water is coming in, which it was.
“We haven’t had any help and nobody has been here from the council. They are out of their depth.”
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Paul Mason, group manager of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said the scene his team had faced was the worst he had experienced in his 31-year career.
He said: “This weather is unprecedented We haven’t seen this, it’s incredible, and it’s right throughout the South Wales Valleys.
“In my 31 years in the service this is the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
The Met Office said winds of more than 80mph were recorded across parts of the country, with the highest measuring 91mph in Aberdaron in north Wales on Saturday.
A total of 6.1in of rain fell at Crai Reservoir in Powys, South Wales, in the 48 hours from Friday to Sunday morning.
The average monthly rainfall for February in Wales is 4.4in.
Across the country, more than 1,000 homes were left underwater.
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