Floods have closed roads in south-west England and dozens of warnings remain in place after wet weather blighted the Boxing Day sales.

The rain is expected to ease into the weekend but groundwater levels continue to rise in parts of southern England after prolonged downpours. The Environment Agency (EA) has warned of flooding in 30 areas.

The A35, A39 and A377 in Devon were closed on Friday and the fire brigade had to rescue motorists from a car and a lorry stranded by flood water and a fallen tree near Leigh Cross.

Firefighters were also called to Plymtree in Devon on Thursday night to rescue a driver who was unable to leave their car because the water was too deep.

Clare Dinnis, an EA flood duty manager, said: “While the weather outlook is improving, groundwater levels continue to rise after recent rainfall, meaning that there is a continued risk of groundwater flooding in parts of southern England over the next few days.

“We continue to monitor rainfall and river levels closely and to operate our flood defences, reducing the risk of flooding to thousands of homes and businesses and helping to keep people safe.

“Our pumps also remain in place in Somerset where our focus is on reducing levels of water on Currymoor.”

North Lincolnshire was also particularly at risk, she said.

The EA has issued 121 alerts of possible flooding over the past 24 hours, with 28 no longer in place, across Devon, London, the Midlands and beyond.

The Met Office said a period of high pressure was expected over the weekend, bringing a dry end to the year for many.

Much of England and Wales is likely to be cloudy on Friday with drizzle on hills, and temperatures are expected to be milder than recently, with a high of 13C (55F) forecast in the south-west.

The forecast for Scotland and Northern Ireland is for wet and blustery weather, with gale-force winds possible. Saturday’s weather is expected to be similarly split.

Simon Partridge, a Met Office forecaster, said: “After that we will generally see high pressure building at the end of the year for much of the UK, and a spell of dry weather, with temperatures near or above average.”