Parts of the UK have been hit by floods as motorists were forced to abandon their cars and forecasters warned of power cuts amid heavy rain.

Roads and train lines were flooded, causing travel misery as reports said some drivers had become stranded and abandoned their vehicles.

The Met Office had previously subjected a swathe of Scotland southeast of Edinburgh to an amber-level warning amid fears of life-threatening floods as the week’s bad weather continued.

But that warning appeared to have been rescinded mid-morning on Thursday

A much larger yellow alert area stretched south from Edinburgh across northeast England to Scarborough until the afternoon. Forecasters said flooding of homes and businesses was likely, as well as power cuts and travel disruption.

Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Show all 17 1 /17 Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures John Rowlings outside his flooded home on Croft Lane in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire , on 16 June 2019. Dan Rowlands/SWNS Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Lincolnshire fire service battles to pump water away from homes on Croft Lane in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, on 16 June 2019. Dan Rowlands/SWNS Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Water pump from Lincolnshire Fire Service attempts to move water away from a flooded home on Croft Lane in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, on 16 June 2019. Dan Rowlands/SWNS Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Aarden submerged by floodwater in Wainfleet All Saints, in Lincolnshire, on 17 June 2019 after heavy rainfall. PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Residents are taken to safety in an inflatable boat by rescue workers in Wainfleet All Saints, Lincolnshire PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding sweeps the beer garden at the Alyn Riverside Country Pub in Rossett, North Wales PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding makes driving difficult on Parkgate Road in Chester PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Rescue workers in Wainfleet All Saints, Lincolnshire where streets and properties are flooded PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding in Hamilton Avenue, Sandycroft in North Wales PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding in Great Steeping, Lincolnshire Louth Fire Station Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Kelly Holland with daughter Abbi, nine, and sister Nicole Luker whose driveway has flooded in Hamilton Avenue, Sandycroft in North Wales PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Sand bags in place as Kelly Holland's house in Hamilton Avenue, Sandycroft in North Wales PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures The pitch at Earlswood Cricket Club in Warwickshire is flooded Earlswood Cricket Club Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding in Great Steeping, Lincolnshire Louth Fire Station Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding in Hamilton Avenue, Sandycroft in North Wales PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding makes driving difficult on Parkgate Road in Chester PA Flooding hits multiple towns across the UK: In pictures Flooding makes driving difficult on Parkgate Road in Chester PA

The beer garden at the Alyn Riverside Country Pub in Rossett, North Wales, was left swamped while dips in roads became unpassable.

Flooding and heavy rain also hit parts of northwest England, particularly Liverpool and Greater Manchester, and northeast Wales.

Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall warned that the wet weather would continue to blight parts of the country on Thursday.

He said: “As this system pushes up from the southeast through the course of the night, it will re-intensify and continue through much of Thursday.”

But this June was “still a long way off” the wettest-ever, when in 2012 an average of 149mm of rain fell.

The Met Office said Chillingham in Northumberland had seen nearly 1cm of rainfall in the space of an hour on Thursday morning.

The village received 73mm of rainfall over a 28-hour period – more than the 66.4mm average for the whole of June.

Elsewhere, Waddington in Lincolnshire saw nearly 40mm fall over a period of 14 hours, while over the same period Coleshill in Warwickshire saw 30mm fall and 31mm was seen at Astwood Bank in Worcestershire.

The Environment Agency had 23 flood warnings, requiring “immediate action”, in force across England.