THE persistent heavy downpours that have swamped much of the country will continue today and cause some areas to experience a whole month’s rainfall in just 24 hours, weather experts say.

Road users in the North East are being advised to consider whether their journey is necessary before attempting to travel tonight and tomorrow (26 September) as strong winds and heavy rain continue.

The Met Office’s amber alert for severe wet and windy weather remains in place with very difficult driving conditions expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

North Northumberland and the Borders have been particularly badly affected by the storms with rain and gale force winds lashing the area.

Commuters hoping to travel by rail from Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth were left stranded after all trains north and south on the East Coast mainline were cancelled with no replacement bus services operating at the moment. There was no word on when services may resume with passengers travelling between Edinburgh and Newcastle diverted via Carlisle.

North east floods - School closures on September 25

Communities across England and Wales are bracing themselves for the risk of floods from rivers and surface water as up to 100mm, almost four inches, of rain could fall by the end of the day, the Met Office said.

In England the Environment Agency has issued 55 flood warnings for the South West, the Midlands, Wales, the North East and North West, and 164 less serious flood alerts in the South East and East Anglia.

In Morpeth, Northumberland, some people were evacuated from their homes as floodwater rose.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: “Residents in an area of Morpeth are being evacuated as a precaution.

“We are working with the local authority to take them to an alternative location.”

A map of North East warnings is below:

 The Environment Agency urged people to stay safe in the face of flooding, keeping away from swollen rivers and not to attempt to drive through floodwater. The agency said it expected to issue a significant number of flood warnings and alerts for rivers in the coming days and had sent out teams across the country to check on flood defences, clear blockages and monitor river levels.

Alison Baptiste, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: "We are already seeing travel disruption due to the wet weather and could well see flooding across the country this week.

"We strongly urge people to sign up to flood warnings, keep a close eye on local weather forecasts and be prepared for the possibility of flooding.

"We also ask that people stay safe by staying away from swollen rivers and not attempting to drive through floodwater.”

North east floods - School closures on September 25

Newcastle flooding causes commuter misery - VIDEO & GALLERY

:: Have you been affected? Leave your comments below, and email pics of the wet weather to pics@ncjmedia.co.uk