Reports: A deluge of heavy rain is pounding sodden ground in the wake of Storm Henk, with widespread flooding across England and travel disruption.
Many residents have been evacuated from hundreds of flooded homes, and a major incident declared in Nottinghamshire.
Warning for rain covering the south of England was announced on Friday.
The report has it that 259 warnings of expected flooding were in place in England on Thursday evening, with two covering Wales.
The uncontrollable heavy rainfall caused multiple train routes to close, with Great Western Railway advising passengers not to travel and South Western Railway expecting disruption to continue until “at least the end of the day”.
Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major incident due to rising river levels along the River Trent, which was expected to peak on Thursday evening or early on Friday. The council has warned levels could come close those recorded in the year 2000 – the highest on record.
It is advising residents living in flood risk areas to ensure they have preparations in place in case they are asked to evacuate. Laurie Walker, chair of a residents’ association for a Nottingham estate for over-55s hit by flooding, said it was “like a river outside their front doors”.
Nottinghamshire County Council said “well over a hundred properties” had now flooded in the county – with more expected overnight and Friday.
Parts of Worcestershire, Bedford, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, north Yorkshire and Sussex have also been submerged.
BBC Weather Presenter Ben Rich said 2024 had “got off to an exceptionally wet start”.
Parts of eastern England recorded nearly all their average January rainfall in just the first few days, he said, while many other spots have had well over half the rainfall they would normally expect during the whole month.
“This means river catchments are full and the ground is saturated – and saturated ground is not able to absorb any more moisture,” he said, with this leading to flooding.
The worst of the rain on Thursday evening was in the south of England where the “rain really has been coming down hard and fast”, he added.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert for all parts of England, which will come into effect on Saturday and last until next Tuesday.
Farmers are calling on the government to invest more in river defences in rural areas to protect UK food production.