Flood hit areas preparing for more heavy rain

Flood hit areas are bracing for more heavy rain as the Met Office issues weather warnings for the next five days.

As Saturday’s rain cleared north into Scotland and northern England, south west England and south Wales are preparing for downpours over the coming days – with yellow weather warnings in place in the region from Sunday until Wednesday.

By midweek, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire are also expecting a deluge, on top of the ground already flooded earlier this month, with a yellow weather warning, and the possibility of flooding, already in place.

Earlier this month, the Army was called in to assist stricken communities after towns and villages around Doncaster and Sheffield and parts of the Midlands were drenched by heavy downpours.

Doncaster Council said more than 900 homes and businesses in the town were affected by the rain earlier this month.

Met Office weather forecaster Alex Burkill said on Saturday evening: “The heavy rain that affected parts of England today has moved north and it’s mainly across Scotland right now.

“That’s where we’ve got the warning for tonight, and the heaviest rain and greatest impacts will be there.”

On Saturday morning, firefighters in Devon and Cornwall warned drivers to stay away from flooded roads after a number of calls overnight to stranded cars.

Photographs showed flash flooding in areas such as Clyst St Mary in Exeter.

Seven flood warnings are in place across England and Wales on Saturday, alongside 60 less severe flood alerts.

Mr Burkill added: “Across the next five days we have got warnings for each [day].

“[On Wednesday] it’s covering that area of Yorkshire and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, that area which saw the severe flooding.

“At the moment, the rainfall is not expected to be particularly heavy for the time of year, but we are expecting it to be significant.

“There are likely to be some impacts.”