Homes have been evacuated, roads closed and stranded people rescued by firefighters as heavy downpours caused flooding across parts of the UK.
A major incident has been declared in a North Cheshire town due to severe flooding on Wednesday evening.
A rest centre has been set up by emergency services in Poynton town centre and firefighters said they rescued 11 people from floodwater in the area in a four hour period, while the council have admitted they have now run out of sandbags.
Police in nearby Wilmslow also said officers were “dealing with flooding” and had evacuated affected residents, with Oakenclough Children’s Centre open as a rest centre.
Flood water due to sustained rain has also disrupted all lines on the railway between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow early on Thursday, according to train operator Northern.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said firefighters, emergency services personnel and staff from Highways England were helping those affected, with a rest centre established at Poynton Civic Hall.
Police have urged people not to ignore “road closed” signs by driving or walking through water.
“Your car could become submerged and the road underneath could have collapsed, putting you in danger,” the Macclesfield North and Poynton Police Twitter account said.
CFRS added: “Please bear with us, crews and police officers are working very hard to get to those in need and the most vulnerable in our communities.”
The Met Office said it should be a “much drier picture” across England on Thursday.
Forecaster Luke Miall said only sporadic rain was likely in central and western Scotland and northern England, possibly as far south as Yorkshire.
He said: “There may be some showers but they’re likely to not be as frequent nor as significant as the last few days.”
South-west England and parts of Wales may also see occasional showers, he added.
On Wednesday, the Environment Agency put out multiple flood warnings and alerts covering central, north-west and north-east England.
Photos shared on social media showed the aftermath of heavy rain that struck Horwich, Bolton, on Wednesday afternoon.
Jess, 20, was caught in the “mammoth” rain which flooded roads to “shin height”, according to posts she shared on Twitter.
“I had my dog with me and as we crossed the road she almost got swept away, so I had to pull her across to me and pick her up,” she told PA.
“I then waded through the rest of the water, about a foot and a half deep. I’ve never seen water that deep in such a residential area before.”
On Thursday morning across England there were 17 flood warnings – meaning immediate action was required – and people were advised to be prepared via 27 flood alerts.