DRIVERS have been forced to abandon their vehicles after hellish floods saw two weeks' worth of rain fall in 24 hours across the UK.

Thunderstorms left cars submerged under several feet of water as torrential rain sparked travel chaos today.

18 Flooding in Greater Manchester forced drivers to abandon their vehicles Credit: MCPIX Ltd

18 Cars are trapped in flood water after heavy rainfall overnight in Manchester Credit: Getty - Contributor

18 This Lamborghini crashed into the barrier after the driver lost control on standing water on the M66 in Greater Manchester Credit: PA:Press Association

18 A partially submerged car tries to get through the flood in Manchester Credit: MEN Media

18 This man stands near a partially submerged car in Greater Manchester Credit: MEN/Mark Horrocks

The M60 in Greater Manchester was shut after a collision and flooding on the carriageway.

Northern Rail have also reported disruption to lines between Wigan Wallgate and Atherton because of flooding.

Images show cars stranded under several feet of water under bridges in Manchester.

A white Lamborghini crashed into a barrier on the M66, after losing control on standing water.

Guests at Derbyshire's Y Not festival were forced to push their cars through six inches of mud this morning. Woodchips have been spread out over the ground to make it safer.

Joanne Lendrum told DerbyshireLive: "By the end of last night the main arena was basically a swamp.

"When we got back to the tent it really started teeming it down.

"There was six inches of mud. There were cars stuck everywhere and people were pushing them."

18 Attendees of Y Not festival in Derbyshire had to push their cars out of six inches of mud Credit: Joanne Lendrum/BPM

18 Festival-goers endured muddy conditions today at Y Not festival Credit: Joanne Lendrum/BPM

18 UK weatjer - Tourists endure the rain on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland Credit: Duncan McGlynn

18 Cars make their way through standing water in Loughborough Credit: PA:Press Association

18 These tourists are trying to stay dry under umbrellas and blankets whilst out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge this afternoon Credit: GEOFF ROBINSON.

18 Motorists drive through the rain in North Wales on July 28 Credit: Alamy Live News

Forecasters said parts of the North West had seen 40mm to 50mm of rain in about 24 hours, with 52.2mm recorded between 11am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday at Greenfield near Oldham.

The Met Office issued a “severe” yellow warning for rain today covering vast swathes of the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast.

Meteorologist Helen Roberts said that the monthly average rainfall for the North West in July was 89.5mm.

She added: "This is a lot of rain to fall in the space of 24 hours, especially given the rain has been very consistent and there have been heavy bursts within it."

Forecasters said there is a chance fast flowing or deep floodwater could pose a “danger to life”.

A complex weather front will extend diagonally across the UK, all the way from Argyll in western Scotland to Kent in south east England.

Beneath it, heavy thundery showers have the capacity to cause dreadful driving conditions and flooding in homes.

A Met Office spokesman said:“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

“Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

"Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

“There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.”

Weather forecast for Monday July 29 2019 - A mixture of sunshine and showers

'DANGER TO LIFE'

This weekend's weather caused travel chaos for holidaymakers trying to leave for their summer getaways.

Yesterday, queues to get into ferries stretched back 10 miles.

It comes after air passengers suffered major disruption on Friday due to the heatwave and a technical problem with the UK's air traffic control system.

Passengers using Heathrow and Gatwick airports had to contend with delays due to the extreme conditions across Europe.

The air traffic control company Nats said a technical problem with a system at the Swanwick Air Traffic Control centre had been identified shortly after noon, which restricted the rate of arrivals.

The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for the River Trent at Stoke on Trent, saying homes are at risk.

At least 19 flood alerts have also been sent issued for the Midlands and northern England.

A further six flood warnings have been issued by the government.

Temperatures are expected to peak at 23C in Southampton and 22C in Exeter.

Forecasters say 20 to 30mm (an inch) of rain could fall within two to three hours, with 40-60mm (up to two inches) possible in a few locations.

This weekend's weather is a U-turn from the blistering heatwave Brits faced.

Met Office analysts claim Cambridge recorded 38.7C on Thursday - higher than the 38.5C recorded in Faversham in 2003.

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The downpour didn't appear to stop Brits in Leeds from going out last night.

Some wore Where's Wally? outfits while others wore Baywatch-inspired outfits.

Some dressed as Native Americans and Cowboys were all smiles, despite going out after the Met Office issued a yellow Weather Warning for rain yesterday for Yorkshire.

18 Flood warnings and alerts have been issued for these areas on July 28

18 These cars have been left stranded under several feet of water in Manchester Credit: PA:Press Association

18 Motorists were forced to abandon their cars in some of the most extreme cases Credit: Getty - Contributor

Cars making their way through standing water on the A47 Peterborough

18 The Met Office has issued a 'severe' yellow warning for rain today

18 A group of party-goers dressed in Where's Wally? costumes have an impromptu dance-off on the pavement Credit: nb press ltd

18 This woman tries to keep herself dry with her Baywatch Float as others dressed as lifeguards accompany her Credit: nb press ltd

18 This pair dressed as Native Americans share an umbrella to keep dry in rainy conditions in Leeds Credit: nb press ltd

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