Blizzards, more rainfall increase weather misery

Eastbound motorists on the Beltline highway in Madison, Wisconsin, trail behind a snow plough working to clear the roadway. Photo / AP

The storm system that spawned deadly tornadoes in Texas brought heavy snow, ice and blustery winds to several US states in the country's midsection, as well as heavy rain in already water-logged areas where flooding has already been blamed for more than a dozen deaths.

And with parts of northern England waterlogged after storms Desmond and Eva, Britain was braced for severe gales and more heavy rain. Storm Frank was forecast to batter western parts of the UK from this morning into tomorrow.

More than 2100 flights across the US were cancelled yesterday - more than half of them at Chicago's two main airports - and 3700 were delayed, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

Snow from New Mexico to the Midwest, plus flooding in Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois, piled on top of earlier wild weather across the country.

Highways turned icy and treacherous in New Mexico, and Oklahoma declared a state of emergency after blizzard conditions affected parts of the state and heavy rains fell.

In Britain, up to 150mm of rainfall is predicted to hit areas of Cumbria and south-west Scotland, while up to 40mm is expected over Northern Ireland and west Scotland.

Prime Minister David Cameron was heckled as he visited flood-hit northern communities amid claims that southern communities would not have been left defenceless.

Judith Blake, the council leader in Leeds, called the deluge in her city a "preventable disaster" which would not have happened had flood defence schemes not been shelved.

A shop owner writes a message to customers after flooding, in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Photo / AP

Blake said she would be imposing "as much pressure on as possible to redress the balance and get the funding situation equalised so the North get its fair share".

Cameron said "we spend more per head on flood defences in the North of England than we do in the South of England, and here in Yorkshire we are almost trebling the amount we will be spending in the current parliament".

Experts have estimated that economic losses caused by the flooding that has devastated parts of Britain could top 1.5 billion.

- AP