UK weather forecast: Floods close roads as warnings remain after week’s worth of rain falls in one day

Heavy flooding has swept swathes of the UK after more than a week’s worth of rain and 50mph winds battered the country throughout Boxing Day.

The south-west has seen a number of road closures on Friday as dozens of flood warnings remain in place following yesterday’s deluge.

Bastreet in Cornwall suffered the heaviest rainfall, with 31.6mm recorded over the past 24 hours, compared with a monthly average of 150mm for December, the Met Office confirmed.

The Environment Agency has issued 30 imminent flood warnings across England, along with 85 alerts which suggesting flooding is still possible.

A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge in Hampshire
PA

Drivers in south-western England faced delays on Friday morning after the A35, A39 and A377 were all closed in Devon due to inundated roads.

The fire brigade rushed to rescue motorists from a car and a lorry that became stranded earlier today because of a fallen tree and flood waters near Leigh Cross.

Floods in Norfolk, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire covered roads and left cars submerged, while a burst water main in Milton Keynes affected around 50 homes.

A burst water pipe flooded homes in Milton Keynes on Boxing Day
PA

Environment Agency flood duty manager Clare Dinnis said parts of southern England and north Lincolnshire were most at risk of flooding following prolonged spells of rain.

“While the weather outlook is improving, groundwater levels continue to rise after recent rainfall, meaning that there is a continued risk of groundwater flooding in parts of southern England over the next few days,” she said.

“We continue to monitor rainfall and river levels closely and to operate our flood defences, reducing the risk of flooding to thousands of homes and businesses and helping to keep people safe.”

Floods wreak havoc across Europe in November - In pictures

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The agency has been using pumps to reduce water levels at Currymoor, Somerset.

Last night firefighters were called to Plymtree, Devon, to rescue a driver who was unable to leave their car because of the height of the water.

A period of high pressure is expected to bring a dry end to the year for many over the weekend.

However, Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts warned of a split in the forecast later today, with northern parts of the UK set for more rain, as conditions in the south improve.

Saturday’s weather is expected to be similarly split, with drier, brighter spells for England and Wales, and rain for western Scotland.

There was patchy fog on Friday morning, especially across Wales, the Midlands and south-west England.

However conditions are expected to improve and Ms Roberts added that the high pressure will “keep things fairly quiet for the next five to 10 days or so” for much of the country.

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