Flood alerts are in force across the North-East and North Yorkshire as heavy rain and high winds batter the region.

Roads have been closed due to flooding in Middleton-One-Row near Darlington and Skeeby in North Yorkshire.

Dozens of river levels are rising fast and flood alerts have been issued. The Environment Agency has issued 13 flood warnings, requiring immediate action, and 50 flood alerts for the North-East and Yorkshire.

Teams from the Environment Agency reported at shortly before 9pm they were on their way to Croft on the River Tees to close the floodgates in the village.

A spokesman for the North Yorshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received around 70 flood-related calls between 4pm and 10pm tonight.

Firefighters helped rescue one person from a car trapped on a flooded road between Gilling West and Skeeby, near Richmond, while four cars were abandoned at the flooded bridge on the A6108 in Skeeby.

Flooding was also reported in Leyburn, Tunstall, Hunton and Scotton.

Several cars were stranded in floodwater on the A1 near Catterick - emergency services closed road in both directions due to flooding and put diversions in place.

The Environment Agency reported shortly before 9pm that it was sending teams out Croft-on-Tees, near Darlington, to close the floodgates in the village.

Properties on the eastern side of Catterick village on Swale Pasture Lane and Oran Lane and riverside properties at Nidderdale Lodge, Lorisholme and Riverside Caravan Parks off York Road, Knaresborough, are in imminent danger.

Flood alerts have been issued for the Tyne, the Skerne, the Derwent, Ure, Ouse and the Wear.

And weathermen say the region has not seen the worst of the storm.

Torrential rain is expected to lash County Durham and Cleveland in the early hours.

The Met Office is warning parts of northern England could see up to 100mm (almost four inches) of rain fall today and into tomorrow.

Some areas could receive their average rainfall for the whole of September in 24 hours, raising the risk of flooding from rivers and surface water.

The Pennines are likely to receive the heaviest rain, leading to an increased risk of flooding for communities around the rivers Aire and Calder.

Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland are also facing more heavy rain and high winds overnight, the Met Office said.

A significant number of flood warnings could be issued over the coming days as the wet weather looks set to persist over the UK until the middle of the week.

The agency is urging people to be prepared for flooding, keep an eye on local weather reports and sign up to its flood warning service. People are also being urged to stay away from swollen rivers and not to attempt to drive through floodwater.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: ‘‘The main area of concern has moved north, and tonight is focusing on North Yorkshire, but we could see impacts in Cheshire, Cumbria, North Wales, Manchester and Northumberland.’’

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Heavy rain overnight and today has led to more than 100 properties flooding, with some 42 properties in the South West, 35 in the Midlands and 20 in the South East hit by surface water floods.

There has been widespread disruption and long delays to rail services in the North, South West, the Midlands and Wales.

Motorists were being warned not to drive through floodwater and take care on low-lying roads which were flooded. The AA said it had been called out to more than 200 vehicles driven through or stuck in floodwater.

Parts of the UK are also experiencing high winds, with gusts of up to 60mph inland and up to 70mph on the South East coast. Forecasters expect the severe gale conditions will spread to the North-East England this evening.

Kew Gardens in London was closed today ‘‘as a precaution’’ following the forecasts for severe weather in the capital after a woman was killed at the gardens on Sunday by a falling tree branch.