More heavy rain forecast in flood-hit Wales and North West

Flood-ravaged communities are bracing themselves for further misery after yet another warning of heavy rain.

As the North West and Wales recover from the damage caused by Storm Desmond earlier this month, further warnings have been issued for the weekend.

The Met Office has put out yellow warnings for rain in the North West, which was expected to see between 20mm (0.7in) and 40mm (1.5in) of rain by 4am today.

Eight flood warnings are also in place, largely in southern and western Wales and at Keswick campsite in the Lake District.

Around 5,200 homes in the North West suffered flood damage following Storm Desmond - with the cost estimated at £500 million.

And the downpours, brought on by the unseasonably warm weather, could also bring traffic misery for millions of motorists after the Christmas getaway got under way.

The Met Office said: "We have still got plenty of rain to come over western and northern parts of the UK, which is going to continue throughout the night.

"The worst will be in Cumbria, but not quite as far south as Manchester."

A further 46 flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency, which means flooding is "possible".

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said people should anticipate some road closures "as drains struggle to cope".

A spokesman said: "NRW is advising people to allow extra time for journeys as driving conditions may be difficult, particularly on roads already busy with Christmas shoppers."

Meanwhile, in southern parts of Wales, there was expected to be between 15mm (0.5in) to 30 mm (1.1in) of rain falling by 2am this morning.

The Met Office forecasters said higher ground in Wales could see up to 60mm (2.3in) of rain.