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Flash flooding: Major incident declared in Somerset after heavy rain

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Somerset floods: Children tell us how they were affected

Parts of southern England have been hit by flash flooding following heavy rain in the area.

A major incident has been declared in Somerset, where a number of homes were evacuated overnight.

Some roads in the area are also closed due to mudslides and emergency services are helping with the clean-up operation.

Other counties have also been affected, including neighbouring Devon, where properties and businesses were damaged by rainwater.

How has southern England been affected by the floods?

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Other Somerset towns affected include North Cadbury, Milverton and Shepton Montague

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms was issued by the Met Office covering parts of Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Essex also saw heavy rain, resulting in blocked roads and delays to rail services.

Some areas saw more than two weeks' worth of rainfall in the space of just a few hours.

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Roads in Somerset have been severely affected by the floods

Yeovilton in Somerset recorded 35.8mm of rain on Tuesday, compared to the county's usual monthly average for May of 62.5mm.

The Environment Agency, the government organisation in charge of looking after rivers and managing the risk of floods in England and Wales, says that further flooding is possible.

There are currently three flood warnings in place, where flooding is expected.

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Emergency services have been working to help people affected by the flood waters

They are for parts of the river Clyst in Devon, the river Brue in Somerset and the river Cam in Cambridge.

However, all weather warnings for heavy rain have now been lifted.

The Environment Agency added that its teams are on the ground checking flood gates and clearing trash screens covering drains and waterways.