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Torrential rain sweeps across UK Chaos as heavy rain brings floods
(about 2 hours later)
Torrential rain is sweeping across the UK, with flash floods leaving some homes waterlogged and schools closed. Torrential rain has been sweeping the UK, causing travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of homes and schools.
The band of severe weather has hit southern and central England and Wales, and will move north to reach Scotland and Northern Ireland over the weekend. Helicopters were sent to rescue people from homes in Worcestershire, a hospital was flooded in West Sussex and a man died in his home in Cumbria.
Several roads in southern England and the Midlands are closed, with many rail and Tube services badly disrupted. Roads were badly hit in the Midlands and across southern England, with flights and trains cancelled or late.
Berkshire and south London are among the worst affected areas, along with Worcestershire and Herefordshire. More bad weather is expected in Wales and central England overnight before moving north over the weekend.
Rain has been falling at up to 24mm (1in) an hour and some areas could see levels reach 70mm (2.8in) in 24 hours.
Homes flooded
The Met Office has severe weather warnings for Wales and central England for Friday evening. Warnings are in place for north-west England and north Wales on Saturday.
Map: Flooding in England and WalesMap: Flooding in England and Wales
The Environment Agency has two flood warnings, both in north-east England on the River Hull. In the village of Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire, nearly 40 people had to be rescued from their homes after the River Isbourne burst its banks - some of them were plucked from their homes by RAF helicopter.
See the predicted track of the torrential rainIn pictures
Flash flooding has hit many parts of Berkshire, forcing the closure of at least three schools in Windsor and one in Maidenhead, where about 30 homes have been flooded and a woman had to be rescued from her car. The town's main shopping centre, Nicholson Walk, was also shut.
The Glade music festival near Aldermaston, Reading, had to be suspended because of severe flooding.
A National Trust property - Basildon Park, in the west of the county - has been closed because shops and the car park are flooded, and homes in Newbury have also been flooded.
Three people trapped in a building cut off by floods in Barry, south Wales, were rescued by emergency services.
Residents in the town have requested sandbags and a fire service dinghy has been sent.
In south Northamptonshire, the villages of Syresham and Helmdon - where a junior school has been evacuated - have been worst affected.
People are being advised not to attempt inessential journeys in Herefordshire and Worcestershire as floods hit roads and rail services.
In Hereford, the council handed out Wellington boots to help motorists trying to rescue about 200 vehicles stranded in a car park.
The approach to Luton airport has been closed because of flooding, causing delays for passengers trying to reach the airport.
YOUR PICTURES Your images of flooding from around the countryYOUR PICTURES Your images of flooding from around the country
Pupils at the Bredon Hill Middle school in the village of Ashton Under Hill, also in Worcestershire, are preparing to spend the last night of the summer term at school.
No-one can get in or out of the building because of the flooding.
Nearly 300 pupils from Hanley Castle High School returning from end-of-term trips are set to spend the night in Tewkesbury after their coaches became trapped on flooded roads.
Firefighters were called to help rescue children from Cherry Orchard Primary School in Worcester after it was flooded by half a foot of water.Firefighters were called to help rescue children from Cherry Orchard Primary School in Worcester after it was flooded by half a foot of water.
The city's roads have been badly hit, with police advising drivers to take care on the only four remaining routes which are affected by standing water.The city's roads have been badly hit, with police advising drivers to take care on the only four remaining routes which are affected by standing water.
In West Sussex, Worthing Hospital has been flooded by 18in of water, with many homes also flooded across the county. HAVE YOUR SAY I have never seen rain like it. I have just been in the garden, trying to get the water out Graham Moore, Tooting, London class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6893&edition=1&ttl=20070720094446">Send us your experiences
Earlier, flash flooding hit many parts of Berkshire, forcing the closure of at least three schools in Windsor and one in Maidenhead, where about 30 homes were flooded and a woman had to be rescued from her car.
The town's main shopping centre, Nicholson Walk, was also shut.
The Glade music festival near Aldermaston, Reading, had to be suspended because of severe flooding with cars reported "floating around" in the car park.
Battersea, south London, was hit by flooding
A National Trust property - Basildon Park, in the west of the county - was closed because shops and the car park were flooded. Homes in Newbury were also flooded.
In Gloucestershire, the council has set up emergency rest centres to shelter people forced out of their homes by flooding after the "worst conditions the county has seen in years".
Heathrow Airport says it has had to cancel 141 flights because of severe weather conditions across the country.
Luton Airport was described as "virtually cut off" by floodwaters at one point. The approach to the airport has since been cleared.
Parts of south London were badly hit, with roads submerged under 2ft of water in some parts.
Three people trapped in a building cut off by floods in Barry, south Wales, were rescued by emergency services.
The villages of Syresham and Helmdon in south Northamptonshire were badly hit, with a junior school evacuated in Helmdon.
In Hereford, the council handed out Wellington boots to help motorists trying to rescue about 200 vehicles stranded in a car park.See the predicted track of the torrential rainIn pictures
In West Sussex, Worthing Hospital was flooded by 18in of water, with many homes also flooded across the county.
And in Cumbria a 64-year-old man has died after suffering head injuries while trying to bail water out of the flooded basement of his home in Alston.And in Cumbria a 64-year-old man has died after suffering head injuries while trying to bail water out of the flooded basement of his home in Alston.
Travel disruption London's Tube network suffered major disruption, with the Circle line suspended, the District line partially suspended and several Tube stations closed because of flooding.
The weather is hitting roads and rail services, with London Underground's Circle line suspended, the District line partially suspended and several Tube stations closed because of flooding. Mainline rail services remain badly disrupted, with services between London and the south coast and South West, and services in the Midlands particularly badly hit, with scores of train cancellations leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Network Rail says rail services between London and the West Country have been badly affected, with no trains running between Paddington and Bristol or between Newbury and Reading.
The London to Brighton line is badly disrupted, as are services between Sevenoaks and London Blackfriars. Flooding has also hit train services between Cardiff and Birmingham and between Leeds and Doncaster.
First Great Western advised passengers not to travel by train because of the extreme weather conditions.
Flooding is causing widespread problems on the roads in Surrey, Berkshire and south-west London, which the BBC Travel service described as "still badly flooded". The M40 in Warwickshire and the M50 in Worcestershire are closed due to flooding and there are reports of a landslide causing disruption on the M4 in west Berkshire.
'Extraordinary rainfall'
BBC weather forecaster Kirsty McCabe said: "We have had some quite extraordinary rainfall."BBC weather forecaster Kirsty McCabe said: "We have had some quite extraordinary rainfall."
HAVE YOUR SAY I have never seen rain like it. I have just been in the garden, trying to get the water out. Graham Moore, Tooting, London class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6893&edition=1&ttl=20070720094446">Send us your experiences The severe weather hit as thousands of families were planning to take to the roads and railways for their summer holidays, as schools in many areas finished for the summer.
The Highways Agency has warned rain and spray can reduce visibility and more than double the distance it takes vehicles to stop.
Greater numbers of motorists than normal are expected to take to the roads because it is the start of the school holidays in many areas.
Road users in the West Midlands particularly were advised that heavy rain could affect their journeys.
North East Lincolnshire council is on a state of alert ahead of possible heavy rain this weekend, with thousands of sandbags being delivered to areas that suffered flooding in June.
Tory leader David Cameron is to visit an area of Lincoln on Friday afternoon to see the damage caused by the recent floods.
In June, four people died in floods which hit parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire, with more than 30,000 homes and 7,000 businesses affected.
Maidenhead: Around 30 homes flooded, main shopping centre closed.Windsor: Two schools closedLondon: Flash flooding hits parts of south and west London. Severe disruption to rail travel between London, Oxford and Bristol. Some Underground stations closed.Worcester: Schoolchildren evacuated from a primary school; city roads floodedM4 motorway: Partially flooded between junctions 12 and 13Barry, South Wales: Parts of the town are underwater. Three people trapped in a building rescued by emergency services.Northamptonshire: Villages of Syresham and Helmdon hit by flash floodsNorth Yorkshire: Several villages affected by floodwater, including 30 homes evacuated in Gilling BeckMaidenhead: Around 30 homes flooded, main shopping centre closed.Windsor: Two schools closedLondon: Flash flooding hits parts of south and west London. Severe disruption to rail travel between London, Oxford and Bristol. Some Underground stations closed.Worcester: Schoolchildren evacuated from a primary school; city roads floodedM4 motorway: Partially flooded between junctions 12 and 13Barry, South Wales: Parts of the town are underwater. Three people trapped in a building rescued by emergency services.Northamptonshire: Villages of Syresham and Helmdon hit by flash floodsNorth Yorkshire: Several villages affected by floodwater, including 30 homes evacuated in Gilling Beck
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