UK weather: 12 flood alerts issued as heavy rain continues in northern England and Wales

Flood alerts have been issued across several parts of northern England and the Midlands as heavy rain continues to fall.

Twelve areas of Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire are the subject of alerts, as well as parts of Leicestershire and Middlesbrough, meaning flooding is possible.

The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place running from North Wales, across Merseyside and Greater Manchester, and up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

It means road journey times are likely to be longer, while buses and trains could be affected, too.

The warning runs until midnight on Sunday.

More flights cancelled as thousands evacuated – Rhodes fires latest

Earlier, it was predicted that 20-30mm of rain could fall during the day, with places on higher ground potentially getting as much as 70mm.

The fourth Ashes Test in Manchester has been badly affected by downpours.

Bluedot Festival, taking place over the weekend at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire and headlined by Grace Jones, said it was unable to accommodate day ticket holders on Sunday because of the conditions.

Sheffield festival Tramlines said the opening of its final day was delayed because “essential work” was required. Kaiser Chiefs are among the bands still due to perform.

Persistent rain fell in many areas on Saturday, with Wales, the South West and the North West bearing the brunt of the weather.

Get the weather where you are

Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said more wet and windy weather is forecast for the middle of the week, with the outlook remaining “unsettled”.

The UK is on track to have its dullest July on record, he said.

Jonathan Vautrey, another Met Office meteorologist, said: “The band of rain that we’ve currently got from Northern Ireland down to Wales and parts of central and southern England, such as Oxfordshire and Hampshire, will continue to push its way northwards overnight.

“By tomorrow morning, it’s going to stall across the central swathe of the UK in Northern Ireland, northern England and parts of north Wales.

“It primarily sits there for a fair amount of Sunday, particularly in England and Wales, which is why the Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning for that area.

“We have had a relatively wet Saturday, so topping up with the rainfall expected quite persistently throughout Sunday does have the potential to cause some travel disruption and issues with any outdoor events taking place through there.”

It may be a calmer day for those in the southwest, southeast and central areas of England, with sunny spells among the scattering of showers.

Scotland will also experience sunnier weather, with temperatures likely to stay in the low 20s.

Read more:
What rights do tourists have in Rhodes?
Fleeing flames ‘like end of the world’
Evacuee ‘lost everything’
British family spent night on floor

Temperatures in southern England are around average for the time of year, but northern areas will feel “particularly cool” in the rain and cloud.

The UK’s weather is in stark contrast to much of the continent, where intense heat has pushed the mercury past 40C and, in the case of Greece, triggered wildfires.