ISTANBUL
A major incident has been declared in Monmouth town by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service on Saturday due to severe and widespread flooding as Storm Claudia sweeps the region.
"This is a large-scale incident, and our crews and partners have been working tirelessly through the night and into today to help those affected," the fire service's area manager, Matt Jones said, according to Sky News.
Emergency services are reportedly carrying out rescues, evacuations and welfare checks while the public is urged to avoid the Monmouth area "completely."
As of early Saturday, four severe flood warnings have been issued across Wales, signaling that "significant risk to life and significant disruption to the community is expected."
An additional eight flood warnings and 39 flood alerts have been issued across Wales.
England is also under 81 flood warnings and 187 flood alerts, while Ireland's meteorological service, Met Eireann, has issued weather warnings, with significant rain expected in parts of the country.
Reports of power outages and flooding have also emerged in parts of Ireland.
The storm also hit southern Portugal, where an 85-year-old British woman died at a campsite in the city of Albufeira, according to broadcaster RTP.
In total, 28 people were reportedly injured in Albufeira, of which 26 suffered minor injuries and two were seriously hurt.
Eleven maritime ports reported to be closed to all navigation, while houses were flooded across the country.