Flooding in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham

Rail services on the East Coast mainline have been affected by flooding

Over 200 homes have been flooded and train services disrupted as heavy rain continues across parts of the UK.

About 80 areas in England and Wales are being warned to expect flooding, with northern England the worst affected.

Some areas could see 50mm (2in) of rain - an average fortnight's worth - by the day's end, the Met Office said.

Elsewhere, flooding has closed sections of major roads, with more than 100 vehicles trapped on a 30-mile stretch of the A1 in North Yorkshire.

The road is expected to stay shut in both directions between junction 49 (Dishforth) and junction 60 (Bradbury) for most of Tuesday.

A search of the River Swale near Catterick following reports of a person in the water has been completed. North Yorkshire Police say the object spotted in the water by a member of the public was probably a yellow flotation device.

In Morpeth, Northumberland, homes were evacuated and 37 residents rescued by fire services because of flooding on the River Wansbeck and there are reports of travel disruption.

In the West Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge, which flooded twice in the summer, the river levels are rising, prompting fears of fresh flooding. Homes have not been evacuated but the Environment Agency said it had teams and pumps on standby to tackle flooding.

Cleveland Police have declared a major incident due to weather conditions, with around 29 properties in Stockton evacuated by the emergency services as water levels rose to around four feet.
Durham Police advised employers to let staff leave work early to minimise the disruption during rush hour, while Northumbria Police also advised commuters to stagger their journeys.

In England, the Environment Agency has issued 82 flood warnings - indicating flooding is expected - for the Midlands, the North East and North West. There is one in place for Wales.

There are 150 less serious flood alerts - indicating flooding is possible - for many parts of England and Wales.

In Scotland, there are 10 flood warnings, mostly for the Borders, while in Northern Ireland there is no flood warning system but the Met Office has warned of persistent rain and gales.
In other developments:

• Floods in Bristol caused one of the country's biggest blood and plasma banks to close, with thousands of units transferred to other centres by refrigerated lorries
• Train services in northern England are affected by flooding, with East Coast advising passengers not to travel as trains are not running between York and Newcastle
• More than 50 people in Merseyside have been affected by flooding
• Drivers are being warned of Heavy rain and severe winds have caused power cuts and travel problems across parts of Scotland
• Flood warnings are in place on the River Aire and the River Calder, as well as Wortley Beck, in West Yorkshire
• Roads in north Wales remain closed after flooding and there is flood-related disruption to Arriva Trains Wales services. The company is urging people not to travel unless absolutely necessary
• Two Shropshire schools remain closed
• Trains between Great Malvern and Hereford remain cancelled after a "very deep hole" was found following heavy rain
• Alerts have been issued for the rivers Ribble, Wyre, Lune, Douglas, Calder, Brock and Hodder, along with the Lostock and Yarrow, in Lancashire

David Jordan, director of operations at the Environment Agency, said: "Our teams have been out around the clock over the last few days to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding.

"We urge people to keep up to date with the weather forecast and remain prepared for flooding in their area, sign up to receive free flood warnings and stay away from dangerous flood water."

The Met Office has issued amber severe weather warnings, a warning to be prepared for severe weather, in the East Midlands; north-east England; north-west England; Wales; West Midlands; and Yorkshire and Humber.

Less severe yellow warnings - indicating that people should be aware - are in place for much of the rest of the UK.

On Monday, some parts of Britain experienced the equivalent of a month's rainfall in 24 hours on Monday and 70mph winds, causing disruption and lengthy delays to rail services in the South West, the Midlands, northern England and Wales.

Some areas saw up to 50mm of rain up to 18:00 BST, and a further 25mm to midnight, with 5mm falling every hour in many areas.

The Met Office says the average monthly rainfall varies across the UK but in London the September average is 49mm, for Plymouth it is 78mm, Yorkshire 74mm, Ayrshire 131mm, Londonderry 94mm and Northumberland 74mm.

On Sunday, a 30-year-old woman died at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, south-west London, after being hit by a falling tree branch.

The heavy rain in the UK this week is due to an area of low pressure which has moved north across the country from the Bay of Biscay and is now off the north-east coast, forecasters say.

- BBC