Flood warnings as heavy rain batters UK
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There are warnings of extreme weather in north-west England and south-west Scotland
Householders are braced for flooding after heavy rain battered parts of northern England, north-west Wales and western Scotland - with more to come.
Cumbria bore the brunt with the village of Shap witnessing 40mm (1.6in) in 12 hours and Keswick 30mm (1.2in) of rain.
Severe weather warnings are in place and there are 30 flood warnings across England and Wales and 10 in Scotland.
BBC forecasters said Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway were at greatest risk on Thursday.
The Environment Agency said a handful of properties in Cumbria and north-west Wales had already flooded.
And the BBC Weather Centre said winds would gust up to 70mph (112km/h) in some areas, but added the extremely wet weather was the main concern.
SCOTLAND'S FLOOD WARNINGS
Tidal Clyde between Dumbarton and Kingston Bridge in Glasgow and on the Renfrewshire coast
Water of Leith
Jed Water
River Earn from Comrie to Crieff and from Crieff to Bridge of Earn
River Lyon
River Nith downstream of Auldgirth including Dumfries
River Isla from Bridge of Ruthven to River Tay
Argyll and Bute coast from Campbeltown to Cardross including Helensburgh
Liddel Water
Forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker said he expected there to be a brief respite from the rain on Friday, but this would be followed by another spell of wet weather on Saturday.
He said the threat of flooding was not necessarily because of torrential rain but because the ground had become saturated from persistent, heavy downpours.
As well as a total of 30 flood warnings in the Midlands, Wales and north-east and north-west England, there are also a further 55 less serious flood watches.
In Scotland, 10 flood warnings and 17 flood watches are in force.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings, with up to 250mm of rain (9.8in) possible on higher ground.
The Cumbrian Fells, in particular, could experience significant downpours.
The Environment Agency advised people to check on elderly neighbours, move valuables to safety and be ready to turn off power supplies.
A spokesperson said: "Due to recent heavy rain and the current weather forecast, we are expecting flooding to property in the north west of England, particularly Cumbria, from late tonight and into tomorrow.
People trapped
"Environment Agency teams are working around the clock, monitoring river levels and are out on the ground checking flood defences and clearing debris from rivers."
The spokesman also warned of a possible tidal surge on Thursday in the northern Irish Sea which could increase the flood risk along the west coast from Aberystwyth northwards.
Cumbria Police said on Wednesday night there was a large flood on the A69 at Warwick Bridge, in Carlisle, which was approximately 70 yards (64m) long, but that the road was passable with care.
The force added that flooding in the area was expected to peak in the latter part of the night.
