Snow melts and floods begin...

 

Heavy rains and rising temperatures, which will thaw the snow that has blanketed much of Britain, have sparked fears of flooding across Britain. Rain is forecast for the whole of the UK during the night with some heavy downpours.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued six warnings for southwest England - the second highest alert which means flooding is expected. More than 100 alerts, meaning flooding is possible, were also in place across the country after the agency warned of an increased risk of surface water and river flooding. The Met Office has also issued a severe weather warning for localised flooding in many parts of the country on Sunday. The rain combined with rapidly melting snow could cause further disruption on the road, after heavy snow storms on Friday night left hundreds of people stranded as driverson motorways in the north of England were forced to abandon their cars.