Police find body in search for missing dog walker, 75, amid severe flooding

Police searching for a 75-year-old man who went missing in the River Conwy have found a body.

North Wales Police said Brian Perry was last seen at around 4.30pm on Saturday wearing a red Berghaus waterproof jacket. He was walking with his wife and dog near Gower Road, which has been affected by severe flooding due to Storm Bert.

There has been no formal identification but his family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers, the force said.

READ MORE: Homes flooded amid Storm Bert misery as River Irwell bursts its banks on edge of Greater Manchester

In a statement, chief inspector Simon Kneale said: "I would like to thank the efforts of all agencies involved in the searches in very difficult conditions and for the local community who supported the teams in the area. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time and they have asked that their privacy is respected."

It comes after as much as 79.8mm of rain fell in Capel Curig, North Wales, in 24 hours on Saturday and wind gusts of up to 82mph were recorded in the Welsh village.

In some parts of Wales, homes and cars are underwater as Storm Bert continues to take its destructive toll across the country. Rising waters have been reported in many towns, including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare, with landslides in North Wales.

Storm Bert has brought more than 80 per cent of November’s average monthly rainfall in less than 48 hours. Strong winds have caused flights to be cancelled and trees have fallen on railway lines meaning lengthy delays.

Since the storm began in the early hours of Saturday, 149mm of rain has fallen in Tyn-Y-Waun in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. On average, the area sees 180mm of rain in the whole of November, Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said.

In England, 135.7mm of rain has been recorded from the beginning of the storm until 11am on Sunday in White Barrow in Devon which is around half of the total rainfall typical in November.

More than 250 flood alerts are in place for England, Wales and Scotland.

According to police, three men have died on the roads during Storm Bert. A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on a car on the A34 near Winchester on Saturday morning, Hampshire Police said.

West Yorkshire Police said a 34-year-old man died in a single-vehicle collision in Shipley the early hours of Saturday. Meanwhile in Northamptonshire, a man in his 40s died in a crash on the A45 near Flore.