More than 300 flood warnings in place after heavy rain hits parts of UK

Homes across the Midlands were inundated on Thursday while parts of southern England including Gloucestershire were also submerged.

On Friday morning, a total of 302 flood warnings were in place in England, as well as 13 in Wales, with forecasters predicting showers could continue.

Train companies have also been affected by the deluge, with Great Western Railway (GWR) warning that several lines remain closed due to flooding, including between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Reading and Castle Cary, and Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall.

A landslip at Arlesey in Bedfordshire was also affecting Thameslink services.

In east London, around 50 people were led to safety by firefighters overnight after a canal burst its banks in Hackney Wick, causing flooding in an area of around 10 acres.

The highest rainfall totals recorded on Thursday were 35.2mm at Otterbourne in Hampshire, with a wide range of 20-30mm across much of the southern counties of England.

The Environment Agency said ongoing impacts are likely across much of England over the next five days.

It comes after disruption caused by strong winds and rain from Storm Henk earlier in the week, which has left the ground saturated and more prone to flooding.

Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major incident on Thursday due to rising levels along the River Trent and several residents of Radcliffe Residential Park, an estate of static caravans for the over-55s just to the east of the city, were evacuated.

Caroline Douglass, the Environment Agency’s flood director, said the Trent was at “some of the highest levels we’ve seen in 24 years”.

She told BBC Breakfast more than 1,000 properties had been flooded across England this week, with that figure likely to increase.

She added: “We have had very wide rainfall.

“Over November and December, following Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated right across the country, particularly in the east.

“But also that’s just been topped up over the pre-Christmas period. That rainfall from this week has just added to that, so there’s really nowhere for the water to go.

“The ground is completely saturated so in that situation we get more flooding and greater impacts than we’ve seen and probably in areas where people aren’t used to.”

Elsewhere, a number of cows drowned in the village of Sawley, Derbyshire, prompting an animal welfare investigation.

In Gloucestershire, police warned of road closures due to rising water levels around Tewkesbury.

An evacuation centre was set up in the nearby village Walton Cardiff while people living on Alney Island, between two branches of the River Severn, in nearby Gloucester were urged to leave their homes overnight for a nearby leisure centre.

GWR issued an alert to passengers saying: “We’re experiencing significant disruption on the network. Please check before you travel.

“Flooding and a serious incident near Reading last night, which involved police taking control of the line, has left trains and crew in the wrong place.

“We’re sorry for the disruption customers experienced.

“Short-notice cancellations and a reduced level of service on long-distance routes are expected throughout the day.”

The incident near Reading involved a person being struck by a train.

South Western Railway said it could not run trains between Yeovil Junction and Exeter because of a landslip near Crewkerne tunnel in Somerset.

The line was closed last month because of damage caused by a landslip in the area, which was repaired by Network Rail.