TWO people had a lucky escape after their car overturned on a flooded road.

The incident was one of several in North Wales on Sunday evening as torrential rain and strong winds hit the region.

Emergency crews and Environment Agency Wales officials were monitoring river levels in several areas last night including the Lower Dee from Llangollen to Chester.

The Renault car is believed to have hit the water as it travelled along the A5 near the golf club at Chirk late on Sunday evening.

Three fire appliances and an ambulance were sent to the scene after the alarm was raised at 8.50pm, but no one was injured.

A North Wales Fire Service spokeswoman said the car was found overturned, but both people had got out of the car unaided.

A North Wales Police spokeswoman said the vehicle was recovered and staff from Wrexham Council’s highways department were called out to unblock the drain which had caused the water to build up on the roadway.

Earlier a canoeist was rescued from the River Conwy, which was swollen by the heavy rain. He was swept about half a mile downstream before he managed to grab hold of rocks just before Conwy Falls, near Betws y Coed.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue used ropes to get the 20-year-old student out of the river, cold but uninjured.

Firefighters dealt with calls from home owners in Bala and Llanfynydd near Wrexham who feared their properties could flood.

An Environment Agency Wales spokesman said a flood warning was still in force on the Lower Dee from Llangollen to Chester.

There were flood watches on the Upper Severn and Vyrnwy Catchment in Powys yesterday.

In other parts of Wales emergency services had to answer hundreds of flooding calls.

South west Wales was worst hit with the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service receiving about 400 calls in just a few hours.

In Shropshire the A49, a main route to South Wales was blocked by floodwater at Bromfield and Craven Arms.

Firefighters were also called out after a car got stuck in the ford at Burlington, just off the A5 near Telford.

Weather forecasters said rain was likely today with snow on the hills.