UK weather: Britain braces for a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours amid struggle to recover from Storm Dennis

Firefighters hit out at ‘shambles of a government’ as country battles flood damage and forecasters warn of more to come

More than a month’s worth rain could fall across parts of the UK inside 24 hours even as the country battles back from the aftermath of Storm Dennis, forecasters have said.

The Met Office told The Independent that Lancashire and Cumbria may see more rain between Wednesday and Thursday afternoons than they would normally expect in an average February.

Severe flood warnings remained in place on Thursday morning across parts of the Midlands, which saw areas submerged during last weekend’s wet weather.

The Met Office said that river levels could rise again in southwest and northern England over the next few days where the ground is already full of water.

“Storm Dennis has long gone, but the legacy of high water levels and saturated catchments remain,” said Steve Willington, a Met Office chief forecaster.

While conditions are expected to be less severe towards the end of the week compared to the recent bad weather, he Mr Willington added that “any additional rainfall could create further challenges”.

“Flooding, especially in areas already heavily affected, remains a possibility,” Mr Willington said.

Heavy showers fell across northern and western parts of the UK overnight..

It comes as communities dealt with damage caused by Storm Dennis, which saw hundreds of homes and businesses flooded as rivers burst their banks.

People were also evacuated in at-risk areas, with police advising Shropshire residents to leave their homes on Tuesday as the threat of flooding remained.

Boris Johnson has been criticised for not yet visiting the flood-hit areas – as he did during the general election campaign – and for not convening the government’s emergency Cobra committee.

“Nowhere-to-be-seen Boris Johnson is showing his true colours by his absence,” Jeremy Corbyn, the outgoing Labour leader, said.

On Tuesday, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price questioned why the PM had not called a Cobra meeting, and called for the Welsh government to have a similar national emergency response system.

The Fire Brigades Union, criticised Mr Johnson for showing “zero leadership as flooding devestates our communities” and “a shambles of a government” for “a lack of long-term planning”.

“The Tories have slashed fire and rescue funding, bungled flood defences, and refused to recognise in law the role of firefighters and control staff in responding to these emergencies,” said Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary. “Boris Johnson should be ashamed.”

Ministers have defended the government’s response, with environment secretary George Eustrice highlighting an investment of £2.6bn in flood defences “which have already protected 200,000 properties that would otherwise have been caught out by flooding”.

A No 10 spokesperson told The Independent: “The PM is receiving regular briefings and is fully engaged with the government’s recovery effort. The environment agency is leading the operational response and the environment secretary and his department is rightly leading the government’s response to the flooding.”

There would be respite for some, however, Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said. “The rain will clear through the west in the afternoon then through the southeast later” on Thursday, he said, adding that people could expect “sunshine and showers”.

More weather warnings are likely on Friday with heavy rain expected across western Scotland, Yorkshire and parts of Cumbria.

Gusty winds are also expected to strengthen as the week draws to a close.

Financial aid has been offered to flood-hit communities following the UK’s two stormy weekends in a row, with owners of submerged homes eligible for £500 and a council tax exemption, the communities secretary said.

Additional reporting by Press Association