Parts of Britain braced for yet more flooding

The Environment Agency said people across central and eastern England should remain on alert for possible floods as heavy thunderstorms are forecast.

A severe weather warning of heavy rain was issued yesterday for parts of the Midlands, southern and eastern England and Wales, forecasting many areas will see between 20mm and 30mm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) of rain. Some parts could see up to 60mm (2.4 inches), almost the total average for the month of July, over a few hours.

The Environment Agency said river flooding could prove a problem particularly in the Midlands and East Anglia, while there continued to be a risk of flooding from rising groundwater across parts of Dorset.

Much of Wales was also at high risk of flooding overnight and into today.

Nationally, three flood warnings were in place last night, covering the south west, while 47 flood alerts across the country had been issued.

Just one alert remains in force in the region, in East Yorkshire, covering the River Foulness and the Market Weighton Canal and their tributaries. Water levels at Welham Bridge near Howden remained high yesterday.

John Curtin, head of incident management at the Environment Agency, said: “The combination of saturated ground, high river levels and further forecasts of torrential rain mean people must remain vigilant.