Over 1,000 properties flooded across England

More than 1,000 properties across England have flooded amid heavy downpours this week, as temperatures look set to plummet at the weekend.

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts remained in place on Friday, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing a cold weather alert from today.

The Environment Agency said "significant river flooding impacts" were expected yesterday and today across parts of the Midlands on the River Trent and in Gloucester.

It said areas of the South West on the River Avon would also be affected, adding that ongoing impacts are likely across much of England over the next five days because the ground is "completely saturated".

Data from the Environment Agency shows almost every river in England to be exceptionally high with some rivers reaching their highest flow on record, such as the River Itchen in Southampton which saw a flow double its previous record in December.

Caroline Douglass, the agency' s flood director, said the river Trent has been at "some of the highest levels we've seen in 24 years".

She told BBC Breakfast more than 1,000 properties have been flooded across England this week, with that figure likely to rise.

Ms Douglass said: "We have had very wide rainfall.

"Over November and December, following Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated right across the country, particularly in the east. But also that's just been topped up over the pre-christmas period. That rainfall from this week has just added to that, so there' s really nowhere for the water to go.

"The ground is completely saturated so in that situation we get more flooding and greater impacts than we've seen and probably in areas where people aren't used to."