Thousands urged to evacuate 'immediately' amid risk of severe flooding

Thousands of people living along the east coast of England have been told to leave their homes ahead of expected severe flooding, while others in towns such as Whitby are already seeing floods.

The Environment Agency has warned of "dangerous waves carrying rocks and a coastal surge" and said the Army is on standby to assist.

More than 4,500 residents in Jaywick, Essex, were told to leave their homes this morning following a warning there was a "high risk" properties "could be flooded by sea water up to a depth of three metres".

It comes as 100 soldiers have been deployed to Skegness, Lincolnshire, where more than 3,000 residents have been urged to leave their homes or stay above ground level.

In Norfolk, police said around 5,000 homes in Great Yarmouth and the surrounding areas would be evacuated due to "extreme weather", while a further 1,100 properties in Suffolk face a similar warning.

And late on Friday afternoon, police said that approximately 80 residents of Walcott were also being told to leave their homes.

:: All the latest as extreme weather hits the UK

In Jaywick, many villagers have said they will not leave, prompting Essex Police to plead with residents to "comply with police instruction and evacuate immediately".

Reporting from Jaywick, Sky News Correspondent Enda Brady said residents had been left "nonplussed" by the flood warning.

"They say they have heard it all before, that there was this evacuation warning given four years ago and absolutely nothing came to pass back then," he said.

"They’ve said they are quite prepared to stay put."

Rebecca Kenny, 31, said she would stay in Jaywick "unless things get drastically worse" because she had "a big fear of crime".

Meanwhile, Iris Smith, 62, said she was "not worried at all" by the flood warning.

Essex Police has also called on residents in Mistley and West Mersea to leave their homes.

Chief Inspector Russ Cole said: "Latest forecasting tells us that risk has moved to the next high tide expected just after midnight.

"That threat has led to a severe flood warning being put in place for tonight’s high tide."

:: UK weather: The latest Sky News forecast

Across east England, the Environment Agency has put in place 17 severe flood warnings which warn of a danger to life.

The Environment Agency’s severe flood warnings cover:

:: Aldeburgh and Thorpeness
:: Blythburgh and marshes upstream of A12
:: East bank of the River Yare at Great Yarmouth from South Denes to South Quay
:: East banks of the Rivers Yare and Bure at Great Yarmouth including North Quay, Newtown and Bure Park
:: Lowestoft Seafront and Docks
:: North Bank of Lake Lothing
:: Oulton Broad near Mutford Lock
:: Riverside Business Park and Kirkley
:: Rivers Yare and Bure from Runham Vauxhall to Scare Gap including Vauxhall Holiday Park.
:: Snape, Iken and surrounding marshland
:: South Bank of Lake Lothing, Bourne Business Park to Mutford Lock
:: Southwold and surrounding marshes
:: The coast from Clacton to Lee Wick
:: Tidal River Stour at Mistley, including the Quay and The Walls
:: West bank of the River Yare at Great Yarmouth from Gorleston to Ferry Hill
:: West Bank of the River Yare at Great Yarmouth including Southtown and Cobholm
:: West Mersea, The Strood and adjacent marshland

Some 5,200 metres of temporary barriers and 25 pumps have been moved to depots and towns, including Newcastle upon Tyne, Blyth, Great Yarmouth, Chelmsford, Rye and Trusthorpe and South Ferriby in Lincolnshire.

Elsewhere, the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings across the UK for combinations of high winds, snow and ice.

In northeast England, snow and strong wind caused hazardous driving conditions on Friday morning.

Durham Police said “poor visibility due to snow” had caused a serious accident between 16 vehicles on the A19 northbound near Peterlee.

In Whitby, flood defences and debris littered streets on the seafront after the tidal surge at high tide. People were warned to stay away from the harbour as agencies dealt with a number of floods in the town.

Meanwhile, there were reports of up to 50 cars stuck on a slip road off the A1 at Etal Lane, Newcastle.