THERE was only one winner when Ford met ford as yet more torrential conditions lashed South West Wales.
The fast-flowing water variety showed the driver of this delivery van in Gower who was boss, prompting a rescue involving three fire crews and two rescue boats.
The morning monsoon was also minutes from causing havoc in Glynneath when a blocked culvert threatened properties in Rock Street.
Firefighters from the town erected a temporary dam and the water was diverted.
Yesterday's deluge capped off a drenched December and one of Wales's wettest years on record. Between January 1 and December 26, the cities, hills and valleys were inundated by five and a half feet of rain. The last five days of the month will add several inches to that total.
While Wales has never been confused for the Atacama Desert, the Met Office said 2012 had been particularly damp, especially considering the drought-like conditions in spring.
Yesterday morning the Aberdulais Falls thundered as water roared down the Brecon Beacons, while streams tripped down the steps onto the beach at Langland Bay.
The forlorn Parcelforce driver in Bishopston had an unpleasant phone call to make to his bosses when he got stuck on the ford, referred to locally as the Gritton, which separates Old Kittle Road and Church Lane.
The man was reluctant to speak to the Post, but he took the view that there should have been a measuring gauge at the ford to assist drivers.
But local resident Ann Savage said: "I will never go through it."
She said the van driver was certainly not the first to fall foul of the ford, for various reasons.
"Quite often people get stuck because they're going too fast, and a couple of years ago a dustbin lorry got stuck there," said Mrs Savage.
"Last week the water was higher — up over the bridge."
However, she called on the authorities to erect a sign warning of the ford when approaching from Old Kittle Road.
Maddy Adams Stringer, who also lives close by, said the water level had become higher since sink holes at the quarry above had become full.
"We have towed people out before," she said. "The ford can come up, and then just disappears."
A Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said crews from Swansea West, plus swift water rescue teams from Swansea Central and Carmarthen were sent to the scene shortly after noon. The vehicle was towed from the muddy, four-foot torrent with the driver unharmed.
The Glynneath crew were meanwhile busy protecting Rock Street residents from the blocked culvert, while other minor flood-related call-outs across the region were dealt with.
Flooding was also affecting the eastbound railway line in Ferryside, Carmarthenshire.
Four flood warnings — meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required — were in force across the country.
But the wet weather had already wreaked havoc before Christmas, causing landslips of thousands of tonnes of rock, soil and trees in Ystalyfera, in the Upper Swansea Valley.
"We have had rain constantly since December 19," said Ceri Davies, Environment Agency Wales strategy unit manager.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service received 549 call-outs to flood-related incidents from January 1 to December 30 this year.
The service has specialist "wader station" personnel, who enter flood water up to wader height to perform rescues, as well as the swift water rescue teams.
"Fire and rescue services in England and Wales do not have a statutory duty to respond to major flooding incidents, however we do work jointly with other agencies to assist in flood rescue operations," said a spokeswoman.
"All of our firefighters have received training on water awareness, which includes the dangers and risks involving flood waters."
See a five-day weather forecast for South Wales.