Travel chaos as motorway and railway lines blocked by flash flooding

National Highways says the M5 is closed northbound between J16 and J14 and the southbound carriageway is closed between J14 and J15 as emergency services work to clear the flooding.

Parts of England were lashed by heavy rain and flooding in the early hours of Friday.

The Met Office issued an amber warning for areas of the Midlands and the south of the country overnight, with the advisory expiring at 6am.

A yellow rain warning persists for large parts of England and Wales before the wet weather finally eases into the afternoon.

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Areas affected by the amber warning - including Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands - were struck by flash floods as the Met Office warned the regions could see 30-40mm of rainfall within three hours.

As of 6am, the Environment Agency had 63 flood warnings in place across England, meaning flooding is expected, and 121 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.

Recent flooding in areas including Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire have brought widespread travel disruption and damage to properties.

According to the Met Office warning, the weather could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and there is a "good chance" some communities will be cut off due to floods.

Delays and cancellations to train and bus services and power cuts are also likely while footage shared on social media showed cars battling through partially submerged roads.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with National Highways: South-West to rescue people stranded on the M5 in Gloucestershire after heavy rainfall flooded the motorway.