Commuters’ journeys are disrupted and homes are hit by flooding, with warnings of more floods to come, as some parts of the country face up to three inches of rain in the next 24 hours.
Heavy rain overnight in the south west led to the flooding of around 15 homes in Somerset and disruption to rail services between Exeter and Bristol.
Further north, flooding was delaying trains between Chester and north Wales while the Highways Agency said surface water flooding was causing delays on the A49 near Ludlow, Shropshire.
Motorists were being warned to take care on flooded roads in flood plains and in valleys.
The Met Office is forecasting that up to 100mm of rain could fall over parts of northern England, the Midlands and north and east Wales over the next 24 hours, with some areas receiving more than the average for the whole month of September.
The Pennines are likely to be worst hit, with an increased risk of flooding for communities around the rivers Aire and Calder.
This morning there were 20 flood warnings for rivers in place in the south west, north east and Midlands regions and the Environment Agency is also warning of surface water flooding. There are almost 100 less serious flood alerts in place.
The Met Office is also warning of high winds across south east England today, with gusts of up to 60mph inland and 70mph along the coast, with similar wind speeds in northeast England and eastern Scotland later tonight and tomorrow.
A woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens, London, on Sunday during rain and gusts of wind close to 30mph, as stormy weather lashed parts of the country.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, issued a statement which confirmed the tragedy and said: “We are currently working with police and next of kin are being informed.
“We cannot comment further at this stage but our deepest sympathy is with family and friends.”
The Environment Agency has urged people to keep 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.”