Firefighters rescue drivers trapped by floodwater in Yorkshire Dales

The weather prompted North Yorkshire police to warn drivers to be on the alert particularly in the Dales.

Fire and Rescue crews had to help motorists on the A684 at Aysgarth and on the Hawes Road at Appersett after their cars were swamped.

One crew at Hawes had to help the occupants of two cars to get out of their vehicles as floodwater rose on the main road through Wensleydale. They say no one was injured.

A car is swamped by flood water. Picture via Twitter from Thomas Beresford

The Environment Agency has issued one warning where flooding is expected at Brompton on Swale Caravan park and Brompton Lakes near Richmond, and eight alerts where flooding is possible on parts of the Upper River Swale, the river Wiske, the Nidd, Wharfe and Ouse.

They are advising people to keep an eye on rain levels and check with the environment agency floodline for more information https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings .

Swaledale Mountain Rescue also posted warnings on its Facebook page.

"The Swale is currently starting to burst its banks along Swaledale, extra care needed as there is lots of surface water and branches on the roads. Some of the small fords are now very full, it doesn't take much water to move a car!" a spokesman wrote.

Meanwhile, a man is believed to be missing after his car went into a river and was swept away, police said.

A major search operation was launched after reports of a vehicle going into the River Kent in Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District.

Cumbria Police said witnesses reported "a car being swept down the river along with an older man near to the vehicle, in difficulty" after alerting officers at 3.50pm on Monday.

A major search operation was launched involving police, firefighters, mountain rescue teams, coastal search and rescue, and the coastguard, including helicopters.

But bad weather forced them to scale back their search this evening.

A police spokesman said: "Witnesses have reported seeing a car being swept down the river along with an older man near to the vehicle, in difficulty.

"The search has been conducted under difficult weather conditions and the dangers to the emergency service personnel involved means that unfortunately the search has had to be scaled back with an air search continuing at this time by the Coastguard's Helicopter. This will be reviewed again in the morning."

Police have warned the public not to search themselves because of "the extreme dangers of the condition of the banks and the rising river".

Picture above of Hawes by Thomas Beresford

Do you have photos or video of the flooding? Email newsdesk@nne.co.uk