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UK weather: Flooding warnings in place across England

Julie Alliston-Croucher A wide image of the A303 submerged in flood watersJulie Alliston-Croucher
The A303 was flooded near Ilchester, Somerset, on Tuesday

Flood warnings are in place across England as snow gave way to heavy rain.

Thirty-six flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, are in force, mainly across Dorset, Somerset and the Midlands.

The flooding has affected rail services already hit by industrial action.

The RAC is also warning drivers to expect icy conditions on Wednesday, saying it expects to see a rise in breakdowns as older and faulty vehicles "fail in the cold weather".

A total of 160 flood alerts, where flooding is considered possible, have also been issued across England.

ECFRS Car stranded in flood waterECFRS
A driver was rescued after her car entered flood water at Buttsbury Wash on Tuesday

CrossCountry Trains said heavy flooding was blocking lines between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle, with the strike action adding to disruption.

Members of train drivers' union Aslef at C2C and Greater Anglia have walked out as part of a series of rolling strikes affecting different companies on different days until 8 December. There is also an overtime ban lasting until 9 December.

Network Rail confirmed on social media that trains in the west of England will start returning to schedule now the flood water on the railway is receding.

Services between Bristol Parkway and Swindon, and Westbury and Taunton were affected by the flooding, and some trains may be cancelled or delayed due to the earlier disruption, Network Rail said.

In Somerset, several secondary schools opened late on Tuesday and at least four primaries were closed due to flooding.

Councillor Mike Rigby, the council's lead member for transport, told the BBC the authority was called out to more than 245 incidents on Monday - a higher number than during Storm Ciarán last month despite less rain this week.

BBC Weather Watchers/Little Acorns Ducks swim along floodwaters in Southam, WarwickshireBBC Weather Watchers/Little Acorns
Ducks swim along floodwaters in Southam, Warwickshire

Firefighters in Buttsbury Wash near Billericay rescued a driver from her car earlier after she became stranded in flood water.

While in Warwickshire the Environment Agency renewed it's flood warning for the River Swift at Rugby, and a warning for the River Alne remains but the flooding risk is reducing.

A number of roads in Dorset were closed due to flood waters on Monday, including the A35, the main route through the county.

In Alsager, Cheshire, an emergency closure has been put in place on a main road, the A50 Linley Lane, after it flooded.

The Met Office said rain would ease across England and Wales throughout Tuesday, but another cold day would see wintry showers in the North and North West.

A yellow rain warning will return for South West England on Thursday, forecast to last until 15:00.

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said the risk of snow was lessening and would "more or less be confined to Scottish mountains" by the end of the week.

A yellow warning of ice is in place for Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, South West Scotland and Lothian Borders from 15:00 today to 11:00 on Wednesday.

But snow is continuing to make life difficult in Cumbria, as the heavy snowfall that hit the county over the weekend thaws.

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