Streets left flooded after 20 hours of heavy rain

Several streets were left flooded as 28 flood warnings were issued across parts of north-west England after more than 20 hours of heavy rain.

The downpours left cars abandoned in Altrincham and Salford in Greater Manchester, while a major standby incident was declared in Warrington, Cheshire, which was later downgraded.

In Greater Manchester, the Environment Agency issued warnings for areas including Trafford, Stockport and south Manchester, with other alerts in place in parts of Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said three men had to be helped to safety from a car after being trapped by rising flood water just after 04:00 BST in Swinton, Salford.

The Environment Agency had removed all the warnings by late on Sunday morning as water levels dropped.

Three warnings had also been put in place around Warrington including at the Sankey Brook, as well as alerts in Lancashire and Merseyside.

The Sankey Brook level at Causey Bridge was 10cm from possible flooding just after 08:00 BST before subsiding.

Sandbags were delivered to some streets in Penketh as Warrington South MP Sarah Hall warned people to “stay vigilant” before water levels receded.

She said: “I know how worrying it can be when flood alerts are issued, especially for families who have experienced it before.”

There had also been a handful of alerts across Merseyside including parts of Liverpool and the Wirral.

In Lancashire, the alerts included areas around the River Darwen in Ewood, and Waterfall in Blackburn.

The warnings meant flooding was expected, and residents and business owners were urged to act to prevent damage to their properties, the Environment Agency said.

A severe yellow weather warning for heavy rain was also issued by the Met Office from 09:00 BST on Saturday through to 06:00 BST on Sunday.

You can follow the latest on the warnings on the Environment Agency’s website.