Highest flood warning for South West as downpour continues

The South West was hit by torrential downpours overnight, as one river was given the highest grade flood warning and the heavy rain continues to wreak havoc.

A car struggles in Saltcoats, Scotland

Rain at Silverstone race track. 

Driving conditions are trecherous on the M6 in Staffordshire

More than three inches of rain fell over Devon, causing rivers to rise quickly and streams to break their banks.

The Environment Agency put a severe flood warning on the River Yealm, meaning there is "severe flooding" and a "danger to life".

A spokesman said: "Rivers continue to rise quickly in response to heavy overnight rainfall.

"The rain is expected to clear on Saturday morning to generally drier conditions and river levels will begin to fall.

"Scattered heavy showers are expected to continue throughout the weekend."

The warning for the River Yealm was put in place between Cornwood and Yealmpton, including Cornwood, Lee Mill and Yealmbridge, where the A379 meets the B3186.

The Environment Agency has issued 57 flood warnings and 150 flood alerts across England and Wales, as a month’s rain fell in just 24 hours.

Torrential downpours caused flooding across the country yesterday night, closing a motorway, disrupting train services and leaving thousands of people preparing to evacuate their homes.

Motorists battled with treacherous conditions on the roads, and the M50 motorway in Gloucestershire was partially closed in both directions.

The British Red Cross put emergency response teams on standby to help flood-hit communities and urged people to pack their bags so they could be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice

Insurers have pledged to help people whose homes and businesses are damaged by the flooding.

House in Leeds, which was due to have been headlined by the Human League and Texas in front of 30,000 fans.

Motor racing fans travelling to Silverstone for the practice sessions for Sunday’s British Grand Prix were stuck in lengthy queues getting to the circuit from the M1 and then had to negotiate waterlogged car parks.

The flooding caused delays and cancellations on the railways, with problems reported in Manchester, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

The Prince of Wales was among those held up by rain-related travel disruption when he visited Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.

The town, which was badly flooded a fortnight ago, was again hit by heavy rain and Charles was an hour late arriving.

However, the Prince paid no heed to the bad weather, touring a flood-affected primary school before braving the elements without a coat to call in at several of Hebden Bridge’s shops and cross a bridge over the swollen and swift-flowing River Calder.

The Met Office said that between the showers conditions should be bright, with temperatures possibly reaching as high as 20C.

Last month was the wettest June since records began, with double the average rainfall for the period, and this month looks set to break the record for July.

There is no immediate end in sight to the washout summer, with meteorologists warning that Britain is very unlikely to see a long spell of hot, sunny weather during the Olympics.

However, the Met Office does say that the conditions when the Games are on should not be as bad as they have been over the past month.

Bookmakers William Hill today cut the odds of rain falling during the Olympics opening ceremony on July 27 from 4/1 to 1/1.