North West England Flood Warnings Persist as Heavy Rain Lashes Region

More than 20 hours of heavy rain left streets flooded across parts of north-west England, prompting 28 flood warnings across the region as water levels rose over the weekend. In Greater Manchester, cars were abandoned in Altrincham and Salford, and a standby incident was declared in Warrington before being downgraded. The Environment Agency warned of flooding in Trafford, Stockport and south Manchester, with additional alerts across Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire. Three men had to be helped to safety from a car after becoming trapped by rising flood water just after 04:00 BST in Swinton, Salford. By Sunday morning, water levels had begun to fall and the Environment Agency said warnings were being lifted in the area.

Forecasters said a severe yellow weather warning for heavy rain remained in effect from 09:00 Saturday to 06:00 Sunday. Across the region, the Sankey Brook near Causey Bridge prompted warnings as water levels rose to within about 10 cm of flooding before subsiding. The Environment Agency said the warnings were in place to help residents and businesses act to prevent damage. In Warrington, residents were told to stay vigilant as water levels receded and sandbags were distributed in affected areas.

Raymond Wright, who lives in Penketh near Warrington, said the rising water was "scary" for residents on their flooded road. "We're at the bottom of the slope so everything that's coming down is coming this way so it's perfectly obvious to us that the drains aren't coping with it at all," he said. "We do get this quite regularly - as soon as we have a few hours of rain, you can guarantee we'll have a lake down here." He added that residents were "lucky" a local councillor had arranged a pump to remove the water.

Sandbags were delivered to some Penketh streets as Warrington South MP Sarah Hall warned people to "stay vigilant" before water levels receded. Hall said: "I know how worrying it can be when flood alerts are issued, especially for families who have experienced it before."

A range of alerts remained in force across Merseyside, including parts of Liverpool and the Wirral, while Lancashire saw warnings around the River Darwen in Ewood and Waterfall in Blackburn. The warnings indicated that flooding was expected and residents and business owners were urged to act to protect properties, the Environment Agency said. A severe yellow weather warning for heavy rain from the Met Office had been issued from 09:00 Saturday to 06:00 Sunday, with authorities advising people to monitor warnings on the Environment Agency’s website.