RIVER levels continue to remain high with flood warnings is in place for the River Derwent.

The flood warning remains in force due to high river levels on the River Derwent around Buttercrambe caused by persistent rain over the last several days. Rain has continued to fall throughout Thursday  and into Friday. The level on the River Derwent at Buttercrambe Mill is currently 1.2m and is expected to remain at this level.

The Environment Agency (EA) say flooding is expected and "immediate action is required".

A spokesman added: "A further rise is possible into Friday in response to further rainfall in the upper catchments. Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and avoid driving through any floodwater.

"Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the forecast from the incident room."

The EA has also issued a flooding alert for Malton and Norton which means flooding is possible and people should be prepared.

Emergency pumps have been brought in at Church Street in Norton and next to County Bridge.

The spokesman said: "This alert remains in force due to high river levels around Howe Bridge and Malton and Norton caused by persistent rain over the last several days. Rain is forecast to continue  into Friday 08/11/2019, which is expected to keep levels high. Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and avoid driving through any floodwater. Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the rainfall forecast and groundwater levels from the incident room and will update this message as the situation changes."

A spokesperson for Ryedale District Council said: "You might have seen us putting out pumps in some flooding hot spots around Malton, Norton and Old Malton over the last few days. This is all part of a multi-agency plan to guard against potential flooding. Just to reassure you, things are looking OK at the moment, but with the weekend approaching we’re taking a belt-and-braces approach because of the wet weather, and the ground saturation. We will share further information if the situation develops."

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