UK on flood alert amid heavy rains
Much of the UK remains on flood alert this morning as heavy rain throughout the night has continued to wreak havoc.
People in the South West are getting ready to protect their homes and property as more than three inches of rain threatens to cause rivers and streams to break their banks.
Motorists are also being warned of risks from surface water on roads.
The Environment Agency has issued 71 flood warnings and 165 flood alerts across England and Wales, while a severe weather warning, urging people to take action, is in place for south Devon and eastern parts of Cornwall.
Torrential rain led to flooded homes, road closures and havoc on public transport across parts of the country yesterday as the latest downpours continued to fall on ground already saturated after three months of record-breaking rainfall across the UK.
Almost 100 properties were flooded, the M50 was among a number of roads closed by the bad weather and flooding and landslips caused delays on major rail routes.
Six people had to be rescued from a flooded caravan park in North Yorkshire after heavy rain left the site under 2ft (0.6m) of water.
And the wash-out summer is set to continue in the coming weeks, with forecasters predicting the weather is still likely to be inclement when the Olympics start – although conditions are not expected to be as bad as they have been.
The South West is expected to face the worst of the weather this morning after already experiencing heavy rain yesterday afternoon, with 1.6in (40mm) falling in just half an hour in Somerset.
Forecasters said a further 3.2in (80mm) was expected to fall across the region overnight.
A spokeswoman for the Met Office said almost 1.6in (40mm) had fallen between 10pm and 4am in Trengwainton, Cornwall.
Rain in western Devon is expected to ease off this morning, but will move across into Somerset and Dorset.
Thousands of motor racing fans heading to the F1 British Grand Prix have been warned not to attend the Silverstone race track in Northamptonshire today after the deluge left car parks unusable and caused major traffic jams near the circuit yesterday.
The south Pennines and north Midlands, including the areas around Manchester, Sheffield, North Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire which have been among the worst areas hit by the latest floods, also remain at risk of flooding into the weekend.
There are also nine flood alerts in Scotland.
Many parts of the UK received more than half the average rainfall for July in just one day, and the Met Office is warning of continued heavy rain today.
The RSPCA urged farmers to move livestock from low-lying fields and ensure animals had access to food and shelter where possible, and for pet owners to keep their animals safe at all times.
The Environment Agency said 94 properties had been flooded across parts of England and Wales.
