By Alex Morales
July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s two longest rivers, the Severn and the Thames, continued to rise as flood waters swirled around swaths of central and southern England.
Parts of towns including Gloucester in southwest England, Oxford in the center, and Reading, west of London were still underwater today, the Environment Agency said. Tewkesbury, north of Gloucester, was completely cut off by the floods. Thousands were left without electricity and clean water supplies, more than 2,500 properties were flooded across the country, and in some areas, river levels were at a 60-year high.
``I must emphasize that this emergency is far from over,'' Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told Parliament today. ``Further flooding is very likely as the Thames and the Severn fill with floodwaters from their catchments.'' Benn said as many as 10,000 homes have been or may be flooded.
Parts of towns including Gloucester in southwest England, Oxford in the center, and Reading, west of London were still underwater today, the Environment Agency said. Tewkesbury, north of Gloucester, was completely cut off by the floods. Thousands were left without electricity and clean water supplies, more than 2,500 properties were flooded across the country, and in some areas, river levels were at a 60-year high.
``I must emphasize that this emergency is far from over,'' Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told Parliament today. ``Further flooding is very likely as the Thames and the Severn fill with floodwaters from their catchments.'' Benn said as many as 10,000 homes have been or may be flooded.
It's the second time this summer that parts of the U.K. have been submerged.
Last month, parts of cities including Sheffield and Hull were inundated during the wettest June ever recorded for England. The 2 billion pounds ($4 billion) of devastation wrought by the floods has led to criticism of U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's governing Labour party by opposition politicians....
