LONDON: Parts of England were lashed by heavy rain and flooding in the early hours of Friday, reported the German news agency (dpa).
The Met Office issued an amber warning for areas of the Midlands and the south of the country overnight, with the advisory expiring at 6 am (0500 GMT).
A yellow rain warning persists for large parts of England and Wales before the wet weather finally eases into the afternoon.
Areas affected by the amber warning – including Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands – were struck by flash floods as the Met Office cautioned that these regions could see 30-40 millimetres (mm) of rainfall within three hours.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told the PA news agency that northern and central parts of England and Wales had been hit the hardest.
He said: “There will continue to be localised flooding. A lot of these areas have been hit by rain in the past few weeks which means the ground is already saturated.
“The amber warning is in place until 6am and the wider yellow warning will be lifted at 9am. We’re expecting it to then ease up and become a bit drier.
“But rivers often take time to respond so we’re expecting disruption to continue in central and southern parts throughout the morning. Those planning to travel on Friday should factor this into their journey times.”
As of 6 am, the Environment Agency had issued 63 flood warnings across England, indicating that flooding is expected, along with 121 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
Recent flooding in areas including Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire have brought widespread travel disruption and damage to properties.
According to the Met Office warning, the weather could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures. Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and there is a “good chance” some communities will be cut off due to floods.
Delays and cancellations of train and bus services as well as power cuts are likely. Footage shared on social media showed cars battling through partially submerged roads.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with National Highways: South-West to rescue people stranded on the M5 in Gloucestershire after heavy rainfall flooded the motorway.
National Highways said the M5 is closed northbound between J16 and J14 and the southbound carriageway is closed between J14 and J15, due to emergency services work to clear the flooding.
Councils and emergency services in Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire confirmed a number of road closures and reassured residents that they were working to keep people safe overnight.
Tewkesbury Borough Council, in Gloucestershire, has been handing out sandbags to residents to help protect their homes against flooding.
Parts of the country saw more than the monthly average rainfall on Monday, with flash flooding damaging homes and disrupting travel.
AFC Wimbledon were due to play Newcastle in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday but it was called off and rescheduled after the Cherry Red Records Stadium was hit by flooding and appeared to have a sinkhole in the pitch.
Firefighters and police worked late into Tuesday night to evacuate residents after flooding at the Billing Aquadrome holiday park.
There were further downpours on Wednesday evening.
Around 385 properties were flooded in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent and the Home Counties, according to the Environment Agency.
The rain is expected to clear during Friday leaving conditions much colder on Saturday.
– Bernama, PA Media/dpa
