by Parts of England were hit by fresh floods on Friday with warnings in place of heavy rain and even brief tornadoes for the London commuter belt.
As of 6am on Friday, the Environment Agency had 63 flood warnings in place across England, meaning flooding is expected, and 121 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
Areas affected by a more severe amber warning – including Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the Midwest – were hit by flash floods as the Met Office warned the regions could receive 30-40mm of rain. see within three hours.
Images posted on social media showed tracks at a railway station in Shropshire completely submerged and abandoned cars on an empty motorway in Gloucestershire.
It came as an amber rain warning was issued by the Met Office for areas of the Midlands and the south of the country, and a separate yellow rain warning for large parts of England and Wales, ending on Friday.
Flash floods hit areas affected by the amber warning, including Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands, as the Met Office said the regions could see 30-40mm of rain in of three hours.
Rail services between Shrewsbury in Shropshire and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands were cancelled, with disruption expected this morning, after heavy flooding at Wellington station and a tree earlier on the line.
Trains between Peterborough in the east Midlands and London King’s Cross were delayed due to flooding.
The Marston Vale line in Bedfordshire, which operates services between Bedford and Bletchley, is suspended until Monday due to standing water on the track.
All lines between Bicester North and Banbury in Oxfordshire were blocked, and are expected to be affected until 3pm.
National Highways said the M5 in Gloucestershire was closed northbound between junction 16 and junction 14 due to flooding.
The motorway had reopened southbound between J14 and J15 but delays of one hour and up to four miles of traffic were still expected in both directions.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service previously said it was working with National Highways South West to rescue people stranded on the M5 in Gloucestershire.
Images on social media showed many cars in the middle of the motorway in the affected areas.
The A421 in Bedfordshire was expected to remain closed in both directions on Friday between the A6 Bedford and junction 13 of the M1 near Marston Moretaine, as flood water continued to be pumped clear of the junction.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told the PA news agency that northern and central parts of England and Wales had been hit hard.
He said: “There will always be localized flooding. Many of these areas have been hit by rain for weeks, meaning the ground is already soaked.”
The Tornado and Storm Research Organization (Toro) predicted that much of the southeast would see lightning, winds of up to 50mph and even “short isolated tornadoes”.
This includes much of East Anglia, the south-east Midlands and south-central England.
The Met Office said on Thursday: “Slow-moving showers and thunderstorms will develop during the afternoon, merging into a large band of heavy rain during the evening, before slowly clearing south overnight.
“Some places, particularly across central and eastern parts of the warning area, are likely to receive 30-40mm in three hours or less, and possibly 50-60mm or more in around six hours.
“This rain will fall on already soaked ground and affect communities recovering from recent flooding. Travel disruption and further flooding are likely, with rivers continuing to rise after the rain clears.”
According to the warning, the weather could cause difficult driving conditions and road closures, homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and there is a “good chance” some communities will be isolated by flooding.
Train and bus services are also likely to be delayed and canceled as well as power cuts.
A spokesman for the RAC warned drivers to be “aware of the increased flood risks”, adding: “Do not attempt to drive through flood water. If a road appears to be flooded, the safest thing to do is to turn around and find another route.
“Wet roads also increase the likelihood of aquaplaning, where a vehicle’s tires slide on top of a thin layer of water, resulting in loss of grip and loss of control. We strongly advise motorists to keep their speeds down and avoid standing water where possible.”
Parts of the country saw more than the monthly average rainfall on Monday, with flash floods damaging homes and disrupting travel.
There was further downpour on Wednesday evening.
Around 385 properties were flooded in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent and the Home Counties, according to the Environment Agency.
Kate Marks, flood duty manager at the agency, said: “Heavy rain across the country means there is a significant impact of river and surface water flooding in parts of central England today and into Friday. There could also be some minor river flooding in parts of north east England today and Friday.
“Environmental Agency teams are still out on the ground, supporting local authorities to respond to surface water flooding. We ask people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of the local emergency services on the roads and not drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and only 30cm of flowing water is enough for your car to float.
“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.”
The rain is expected to clear during Friday, making for much cooler conditions on Saturday.
