AFTER a brief respite over the weekend, more wet and wild weather is predicted to be on its way to Worcester.

Heavy rain and gusts of almost 45mph are being forecast to arrive across Worcestershire during the early hours, lasting well into tomorrow morning.

The predicted severe weather comes after a mainly dry and sunny weekend that has seen water levels on the River Severn slowly begin to drop after the Christmas floods.

With much of the riverside remaining underwater, one adventurous man was pictured waterskiing on Worcester Racecourse on Saturday.

But the high water levels proved dangerous for others, with a man being rushed to hospital with hypothermia after falling into the swollen river at Diglis, in Worcester, at about 12.30am on Sunday morning.

Firefighters from Evesham, Worcester and Malvern rushed to the scene along with a water first responder team and used an inflatable boat to rescue him.

Paramedics and West Midlands Ambulance Service’s hazardous area response team also attended.

“The emergency services worked together to find the man and get him out of the water,” an ambulance spokesman said. “He was suffering from hypothermia and was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.”

The Met Office is forecasting that the wind and rain will last until about 9am in the morning, with drier weather and even some sunshine then arriving and continuing into the afternoon.

The improved outlook has seen the last flood warnings along the River Severn in Worcestershire lifted.

The Environment Agency said water levels at the Worcester gauge are now at 3.49 metres and falling slowly after peaking at 4.71 metres on Christmas Day.

The level at the Diglis gauge is 3.12 metres and also falling, after peaking at 4.42 metres on Christmas Day.

However flood alerts remain in place, meaning flooding is possible and people should be prepared, especially with more rain forecast to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A flood alert is also in place for the River Avon, which covers Evesham and Bredon.