Northern England will face most severe weather conditions and up to 70mm of rain could fall at highest areas

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

Parts of England and Wales are bracing for further heavy rain with forecasters warning up to 70mm could fall in some areas.

Northern England is set to see the heaviest rain, with weather conditions so severe, Sunday’s Cycling World Championship route from Leeds to Harrogate was shortened from 284.5km to 261km. Riders were taking a shortcut from near Aysgarth to Leyburn to avoid dangerous roads.

The Environment Agency has 61 flood warnings in place for England in counties including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Sussex and Lincolnshire.

Commuters faced treacherous travel conditions as rail networks struggled to cope with the heavy downpour. Northern Rail warned passengers to expect severe delays and cancellations to their journeys on Sunday afternoon.

Trains between Blackpool North and Preston were suspended due to flooding and parts of the Cheshire track were also affected.

Speed restrictions were put in place due to safety concerns causing severe delays on journeys around Wigan, Southport, Leeds, Harrogate and Manchester to Sheffield.

Two warnings are in place in Monmouthshire, in Wales, plus 169 alerts for possible flooding elsewhere. Those concerned about the risk to their area are urged to check the Environment Agency’s website for more information.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A wave crashing over the promenade in Dover, Kent, on Sunday. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

The Met Office have issued yellow weather warnings for rainy conditions across the north and Midlands on Monday and Tuesday with risk of flooding and travel disruptions.

On Sunday, Alex Burkill, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “Today we’ve got the heaviest rain across northern England and it’s pushing its way eastward.

“In the rest of England and Wales there are showery outbreaks but we’ve probably seen the worst of the rain for these parts. We could see a further 30mm to 40mm over the highest ground in northern England as we go through the rest of the day.

“We’ve already seen some fairly significant rainfall and there will be further persistent rain through northern and central England and further showery outbreaks in Wales.”

Sennybridge in Brecknockshire saw the highest rainfall, with 53.8mm falling in the last 24 hours, followed by Footholm Flume in Lancashire at 48.8mm.

Burkill said: “Monday is going to start off pretty fine for most places, however a system is going to come in through the day reaching south-west England and Wales by 10am tomorrow morning and spreading eastwards as we go through the day. By evening rush hour, much of England and Wales will be pretty wet.”

Another 70mm could fall over the highest areas, Burkill said, which would be falling onto already saturated ground.

“Monday will be another very wet one for England and Wales but for Scotland and Northern Ireland, they are going to have another fairly dry day, just a few showers and some bright spells.”

Police forces in England and Wales have warned drivers to take care on slippery and potentially treacherous roads, and rail passengers are advised to check their route for delays before travelling.

The rainfall led to the cancellation of the inaugural Regatta London race, which was due to take place on the Thames on Sunday.

Organisers said they were unable to safely run the event due to “stormy weather” affecting the river’s water quality.