The Environment Agency is warning people to be vigilant ahead of heavy rainfall across large parts of the country tonight and tomorrow.

Jonathan Day, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency, said:

“From Thursday (15th) afternoon and through Friday (16th), scattered showers across parts of England may intensify and become more widespread, bringing a risk of flooding particularly in urban areas. This could lead to localised impacts, including transport disruption, flooding of roads, and potentially property flooding. In the early hours of Friday morning showers will become widespread and torrential. This may lead to flooding, particularly across large parts of the south, including London, which could cause significant disruption during the morning rush hour.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground clearing screens and debris, and will issue flood warnings and alerts where necessary. We will support local authorities responding to surface water flooding. We urge people not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car – and check travel arrangements.

“People should check their flood risk and keep up to date with the latest situation at www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding or follow @EnvAgency and #flood aware on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”