Country battered by heavy rains

In Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, many were evacuated from their homes as the storms hit central and northern areas of the East Midlands, causing flash flooding.

There are now fears this will be followed by so-called fluvial flooding from the overflow of local rivers.

An emergency centre was set up as around 100 people were evacuated in Lowdham, Notts, when torrents of water poured down the town's streets. And 60-70 properties were evacuated in Louth, Lincolnshire, with a local town hall set up as an emergency centre for residents as flood sirens were sounded in the area, said police.

In Humberside two helicopters from RAF Leaconfield were scrambled to look for a man trapped in his car with rising water on the A1079 near Bishop Burton. Michael Mulford, from RAF Kinloss, said a search of the road was later called off after a man was found in his car. However it was not yet confirmed if he was the same man who had contacted the emergency services.

In Cheltenham, rivers of water flowed through the centre of town, with the fire service inundated with reports of flooding in cellars in shops and homes. Residents were urged to use sandbags as the water table is expected to rise following the deluge. The town's sports centre was forced to close after a nearby lake burst its banks, flooding outdoor sports pitches.

In nearby Gloucester, fire crews battled to rescue 50 dogs and 20 cats that had become stranded in kennels and some 50 children had to be rescued after the bus they were travelling in became stranded in a huge puddle in Lydney in the Forest of Dean. Fire crews in Tewkesbury were mobilised to rescue 40 sheep stuck in a river.

Roads in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were blocked by flooding, forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles due to rising water, according to South Yorkshire Police.

A 39-year-old motorist had to be taken to hospital after a tree fell on his 4x4 vehicle on the A377 road around Half Moon village, Cowley, near Exeter, in east Devon. Devon and Cornwall Police said his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

Meteorologist Paul Knightley of MeteoGroup said the rain was likely to continue for the rest of the evening, but would begin to ease off around midnight.