Homes evacuated due to flooding in Lancashire

Residents in the Lancashire towns of Croston and Darwen have been evacuated from their homes after nearby rivers burst their banks.

The Environment Agency (EA) said "a month's rain" was predicted to fall in 24 hours and scores of flood warnings have been issued for northern England.

The EA said the local authority in Croston had distributed sandbags after the River Yarrow burst its banks.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said 40 properties were "at risk".

"Croston has been cut off, the roads in and out," an EA spokeswoman said.

She added that there had been reports of floods across Oldham, Wigan and near the River Darwen.

Andrew Edmundsen, landlord of the local Black Horse pub in Croston, said: "At the moment we are an island. All three roads that lead in are flooded. If you're in you're in, if you're out you're out."

Evacuation centres have been set up in Darwen and Bacup. Some residents of Duckworth Road in Darwen have been taken to the local leisure centre.

Northern Rail has been operating rail replacement bus services between Salford and Wigan and Rochdale and Hebden Bridge.

Heavy rain and 50mph winds on Friday also led to the cancellation of Olympic Torch relay events in Lancashire.

The outdoor evening celebration of the lighting of the Olympic Torch cauldron due to be held at the Headlands Festival on Blackpool Promenade had to be moved to the Blackpool Tower's famous ballroom.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain affecting North West England, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands, Northern Ireland, South West Scotland Lothian Borders, Strathclyde, Central, Tayside and Fife, and Wales.

It also warned of severe conditions for parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire. Up to 50-60mm (2-2.4in) of rainfall is expected and in some places that could rise to 100mm (4in).

BBC Weather presenter Helen Willets said there had been in excess of 100mm of rain in north west England on Friday, with some "really nasty conditions" still to come.