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150 flood warnings remain in place across Britain after more heavy rain

The warnings and alerts cover most of England.

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Flooding in the North of England

Almost 150 flood warnings remain in place across Britain after more heavy rain fell last night.

While the Met Office is forecasting the rains to finally ease off today, heavy downpours overnight have increased the number of flood warnings in effect.

The Environment Agency (EA) has posted 147 current flood warnings – in which immediate action is required – with 145 in England and two in Wales.

There are also 174 flood alerts current, warning people to be prepared for possible flooding.

The warnings and alerts cover most of England.

They are in force across the south of the country from Cornwall to Kent, from Chester in the north-west to areas just north of Norwich and regions to the east of York, and most parts in between.

The EA says it is working with emergency responders and local authorities to protect people and properties in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

The Met Office’s Friday morning forecast for the UK is for “rain at times, but not as heavy as recent days”.

It has forecast “further rain at times” for Saturday in England and southern Scotland.

Almost 50mm of rain fell near Tal-y-Maes, Wales, in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, and the 49.6mm recorded in Brecknockshire was almost matched by Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, which saw 48.8mm over the same period.

The rain arrived alongside cold temperatures in some parts, as parts of the south-west of England did not manage to climb above two degrees on Thursday, but floodwater remains the primary concern.

Machines were pumping 2.5 tonnes of water per second out of the Yorkshire village of Fishlake, according to the EA, as British Army soldiers helped reinforce flood defences.

Meanwhile, emergency services across England warned people to be careful and not drive through deep floodwater as rivers continued to swell.

Another Government Cobra meeting was held on Thursday evening to co-ordinate the ongoing relief.

The leaders of councils in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Kirklees have written to communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, warning of “considerable and lasting damage” and urging more funding to help them cope with future flooding, the Guardian reported.