Matt Taylor, BBC lead weather presenter, said that some places within the amber warning area could see close to a month’s worth of rain overnight and, given how saturated the ground is following the rain already seen this week, existing flooding could be exacerbated further.

An amber warning has been issued for areas of the Midlands and the south of the country, which came into force at 6pm and will last for 12 hours.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for areas of the Midlands and south of the country, set to come into force at 6pm on Thursday.