Rain and strong winds to return to Britain A woman wades through water on the A33 near Basingstoke, Hampshire. Heavy rain is forecast by the end of the week. Britain's rain misery is set to return, with downpours and strong winds lashing the country by the end of the week. After a brief respite of dryness for many parts of Britain on Wednesday, the wet weather will return on Thursday evening and worsen going into Friday as a slow-moving area of low pressure brings thundery showers and strong winds. Many parts of the country will be affected by rain as the system moves north, with winds of up to 55mph in parts of the south-east and East Anglia, according to MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association. The Environment Agency said: "The concern is now for Friday and Saturday when the forecast is for heavy rain." Although there have been heavy showers in the south-west, Wales and the north-west, parts of the country that were on flood alert were given breathing space on Wednesday, with clear skies in London and the south-east. The break in the weather came as three of the UK's biggest water companies announced they would lift hosepipe bans, imposed to deal with drought, after weeks of heavy rain. Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water were due to remove the restrictions in place since early April from Thursday. Seven water companies across southern and eastern England introduced the bans after two unusually dry winters left some groundwater supplies and rivers as low as in the drought year of 1976. The Environment Agency urged people in Devon, Cornwall, west Somerset, North Wales and parts of the Midlands to remain prepared for the possibility of floods as the Met Office issued a weather warning for heavy rain. At one point on Wednesday the agency had five flood warnings in place for rivers where flooding was expected, as well as 21 less serious flood alerts. The flood alerts were mainly in East Anglia and the south-east. Sussex police, West Sussex fire and rescue service and council officers said they evacuated people from flooded homes in the village of Elmer, near Bognor Regis, after reports of flooding of up to 1.8 metres (6ft) in some homes. Inflatable boats were used to reach 250 vulnerable homes, with emergency services knocking on doors and searching properties to make sure people were safe and received the help they needed, a Sussex police spokeswoman said. MeteoGroup said the highest rainfall had been at Culdrose in Cornwall, where 16mm fell, with 13mm in Nantwich, Cheshire. Forecaster Tom Tobler said the bad weather at the end of the week could bring strong winds but not as strong as last week.