Britain's BACK on flood watch: Aftermath of Storm Alex leaves swathes of country under water with 50 areas warned there's worse to come
Britain was again on flood watch today with 50 alerts and warnings in place across the country as a fortnight's worth of rain is set to fall tomorrow.
Aerial photographs showed the extent of the flooding wreaked by Storm Alex in recent days, with Environment Agency workers battling to clean up debris preventing rivers flowing properly before further rain falls.
Up to 35mm (1.4in) of rain could fall in Wales and North West England today, while the South West will be hit by gusts of up to 45mph ahead of a further deluge arriving in 24 hours in a system crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Fields are flooded in the Buckinghamshire town of Newport Pagnell today as the wet weather continues for England
Field around Newport Pagnell have been left underwater today after Buckinghamshire was among the counties hit by floods
The Environment Agency has issued 46 flood alerts or warnings for England, with parts of Newport Pagnell underwater today
Newport Pagnell has been hit by major flooding which has left fields around the town underwater, pictured today
A Chrysler 300C Executive car sits on a flooded road in the Buckinghamshire town of Newport Pagnell today
A barrier prevents motorists travelling on a road in Newport Pagnell today after it flooded in the wet weather
Downpours are forecast for tomorrow but the most torrential rain of the week is expected on Thursday
Parts of Wales will be hit by a further 50mm (2in) of rain tomorrow night, while parts of Lincolnshire and the South Pennines will get 25mm (1in) – and the same amount could fall in southern England on Thursday.
The average amount of rain for the whole of October in Britain is 108mm (4¼in), so the totals in parts of the country across tomorrow and Thursday could represent about a fortnight's worth.
The Environment Agency has imposed 37 flood alerts and nine warnings for England, mostly in the Midlands and South West but also including one in West London, while Natural Resources Wales had four flood alerts in place.
Environment Agency workers have been cleaning up in areas such as the North East today, with one team clearing debris that collected on a screen on the River Wear at Chester-le-Street to ensure the river can flow freely.
The Environment Agency has imposed 37 flood alerts (in red) and nine warnings (in orange) for England while Natural Resources Wales has four flood alerts in place
Environment Agency workers are today clearing debris that collected on a screen on the River Wear at Chester-le-Street
The Environment Agency workers have been cleaning up in areas of the North East including Chester-le-Street today
The team today cleared debris that collected on a screen at Chester-le-Street , meaning the Wear can flow freely
People walk through the grounds of Liberton Kirk in Edinburgh today as the ivy leaves turn red in early Autumn
A surfer rides a wave in the sea off of Boscombe beach in Dorset this morning as the South West is set for 45mph winds
Two swimmers run into the sea as the sun rises over Boscombe beach in Dorset this morning
Tonight, most inland showers will gradually fade away allowing clear spells to develop, but it will remain mostly cloudy with showers through the night in North Wales, North West England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Tomorrow morning will be dry with sunny spells for most of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but there will be showers in North Wales and North West England, which will persist for much of the day.
Thursday will be cloudy across England and Wales with heavy rain in the South, while Scotland will be bright with a threat of showers. On Friday, after a bright start it will be mostly cloudy with rain affecting southern England.
This weekend is expected to be chilly with highs of just 13C (55F) in the South, although it will also be mostly dry – meaning a repeat of the washout weekend just gone which brought widespread flooding chaos is unlikely.