Flooding and travel chaos have befallen large parts of the UK after half a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.

Areas in the North West have seen between 40mm and 50mm (1.5in and 1.9in) of rain, with 52.2mm recorded between 11am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday at Greenfield.

That is well over half the monthly average rainfall for the North West in July, which stands at 89.5mm (3.5in), which has seen the Met Office put a yellow weather warning in place across the region.

Meteorologist Helen Roberts said: “This is a lot of rain to fall in the space of 24 hours, especially given the rain has been very consistent and there have been heavy bursts within it.”

Parts of Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland and the Midlands are also under a yellow weather warning, with the immense amount of rain having followed a period of unprecedented heat.

Sandwiched in between those two extremes for much of the country were a series of thunderstorms, which could return on Monday and Tuesday along with more rain.

The Environment Agency has issued six flood warnings across the Midlands, the East and the North West, with people there being urged to avoid swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water.

In Leicestershire, firefighters were called to Loughborough Road on Sunday morning to reports that homes were being threatened by rising water, forcing two bungalows and a block of flats to be evacuated.

Cars have also been left almost completely submerged by water in some areas and the roads are treacherous.

Greater Manchester Police tweeted a photo on Sunday morning of a Lamborghini crashed into the side of a road, with the driver having lost control on standing water.

“The driver of this Lamborghini lost control on standing water and took out a section of barrier before making off on food prior to police arrival,” the force said, adding that it was “a very expensive mistake”.

As well as the roads, train lines have also been affected by the heavy rain.

Flooding has been reported on tracks between Manchester Victoria and Southport, compounding an already frustrating weekend for train passengers.

Repair work on the London St Pancras-Nottingham-Sheffield rail route has resulted in a reduced timetable, and there have been no Southeastern services into most London stations.

Even air travel has not been immune to the conditions, with Gatwick Airport warning passengers to check the latest travel information before their flight.

The airport said on Sunday morning: “We aim to run a normal schedule today, however due to ongoing adverse weather across Europe, passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information.”

Heathrow Airport has also suffered delays due to the conditions.

Sunday night will bring more rain, some of it heavy and thundery, across the Midlands, the North, southern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, but it will be mainly dry elsewhere.

The Met Office forecasts that rain in the North will finally begin to east on Monday, with sunny spells for most until wind and rain reach the South West later on.

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