Homes in England have been flooded after heavy rain on Wednesday and overnight across the UK, as emergency services were inundated with requests for help from people dealing with weather-related problems.
Properties in East Anglia and Gloucester were among those affected by bad weather. Patrick Lloyd, 27, from Peterborough, told the PA Media news agency he woke up to find much of his home had been submerged, causing thousands of pounds-worth of damage.
Lloyd said he had to help rescue his 86-year-old neighbour who had become trapped without power. She was taken to hospital after spending about 50 minutes in the “freezing” flood water.
“Luckily a bloke driving by saw her and got out and helped us with her. We had to get the fire service out to get her on to a board and we lifted her out for an ambulance,” he said. “We were worried about hypothermia, she spent a night in hospital, no idea if she made it or not.”
A yellow Met Office weather warning for rain stretched from East Anglia, across Leicester, parts of Birmingham and north London, through to mid-Wales and Cornwall, and remained in place until 2am on Thursday.
The BBC reported the south Wales fire and rescue service received 500 calls for help on Wednesday as the downpours hit many parts of the country.
Northamptonshire fire and rescue service said it had handled more than 250 flood calls, with several properties inundated and a number of people rescued from their stranded vehicles.
The Environment Agency (EA) had issued more than 90 flood warnings for England as of 5am on Thursday, including 16 warnings related to the River Severn on the Welsh border.
Other areas covered by flood warnings included part of the Great River Ouse and the Chediston watercourse in Suffolk.
Nine further flood warnings were issued by Natural Resources Wales.
The Environment Agency also issued a further 149 flood alerts, which warn of possible flooding and urge preparedness.
Nottinghamshire police said emergency services had been called to a report of a landslide near some homes near a former quarry at 11.40pm on Wednesday.
The force said a “small number” of properties had been evacuated, and police, fire and ambulance services, along with Mansfield district council officials, were sent at the scene at Bank End Close in Mansfield to conduct safety assessments.
According to a Natural Resources Wales gauge, 60.4mm of rain fell within 13 hours at the Trevethin reservoir in southern Wales on Wednesday.
Almost 45mm of rain was also detected in Corby, Northamptonshire, in the same period, according to Environment Agency figures.
The heavy rain caused disruption to travel, with many areas, including Cardiff, reporting surface water on the roads.
Alex Burkill, a meteorologist for the Met Office told the PA Media news agency: “There’s been a lot of wet weather around, we’ve had a heavy rain across much of England and Wales, particularly southern parts of Wales but also further east.
“Most places in England and Wales have been really wet and we’ve seen strengthening winds too, there have been some gales in exposed parts, so quite unpleasant really.”
He said the rainfall would cease overnight into Christmas Eve.
“The wet weather we’ve got over us at the moment that’s all going to clear away towards the south-east as we go through the night so for Christmas Eve we’re going to have lots of fine weather around, with lots of sunshine and a cold northerly flow.”