A yellow rain warning persists for large parts of England and Wales before the wet weather finally eases into the afternoon

Heavy rain and flash flooding have battered parts of England and Wales, causing widespread travel disruption and damage to properties. Roads and houses flooded in central and southern England after some experienced a month's worth of rain in a matter of hours.

More flooding is expected to hit parts of England in the early hours of Friday before outbreaks of heavy rain start to ease, according to the Met Office.The forecaster issued an amber warning for areas of the Midlands and the south of the country,

A fresh bout of heavy rain is likely to cause more flooding across parts of England badly hit by downpours earlier this week, the Met Office has warned. A more serious amber warning has been issued for some areas in the midlands and central England,