Met Office issues amber warning amid torrential downpours and thunderstorms after 2.5in of rain falls in just hours Downpours have caused flash-flooding in the South East and the Midlands Market Bosworth in Leicestershire endured 61mm of rain yesterday The average rainfall for July was 80mm according to experts Met Office has increased weather warning to amber It urged residents in the Midlands and north of England to be prepared By Tara Brady The Met Office has issued an 'amber warning' across the Midlands and north of England The Met Office has issued an 'amber warning' following a night of torrential rain, thunder and lightning across the UK and is warning residents in the Midlands and north of England to prepare for flooding. The heavy downpours have already caused flash-flooding in the South East and the Midlands, with more expected today as the rain spreads north and west. In just four hours yesterday evening Market Bosworth in Leicestershire endured 61mm of rain and many other areas saw between 20mm and 30mm, with similar amounts forecast today. This compares with an average rainfall of around 80mm for the whole month of July, weather experts said. The Met Office has increased its weather warning level to 'amber', the second of three levels, and told people living in the Midlands and north of England to be prepared for storms likely to cause surface water flooding and disruption today. The Environment Agency has also issued 32 flood alerts in the same areas, and two more serious flood warnings near Rochdale and Sheffield as river levels rise. Forecaster Tom Tobler, from MeteoGroup, said there is a chance of being hit by heavy downpours almost anywhere in the UK today. He said: 'The torrential rain and thunderstorms will move into north England and into Scotland, as well as across to the South West and South Wales. Between 20mm and 30mm could fall, some of it on top of areas which might have already seen showers, so there is a continued risk of flash-flooding. Downpours: Drivers faced flooding in Loughborough after torrential rain overnight Horseriders make their way through flood water in Loughborough where there were heavy downpours Up to her knees: Janet Hills from Barrow pushes her bike through the flooded Mountsorrel Lane in Loughborough Motorists struggle to drive through flood water in Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, until police officers arrive to close the road after heavy rainfall last night But you could catch a heavy shower pretty much anywhere in England and Wales, but the South East should remain mainly dry and up to 25C. Heavy rain overnight caused road closures and tricky driving conditions in the North East. In Newcastle, the Scotswood Road close to the River Tyne was closed due to 'floodwater and silt', the city council said. Warning: Map showing parts of Britain which were hit with downpours at 9am this morning. The rain is expected to move south later on hitting the north of England and the Midlands Durham County Council tweeted: 'The heavy rain overnight has left standing water across the county's roads. Please drive safely if you're out today.' It comes after a glorious run of baking sunshine in July which has turned increasingly unsettled over the last week. The weather is likely to remain changeable over the next few days. Twister: A tornado was spotted during storms which hit the Isle of Lewis in Scotland on Friday Blown away: A driver captures a tornado ripping through Glenshane Pass in Northern Ireland Tonight clear spells will gradually give way to increasing amounts of cloud from the south-west together with showers. The showers are likely to be heavy and thundery in places, particularly in the west. However, East Anglia and the far southeast of England are likely to escape largely dry. Northern Ireland will also be cloudy at times with showers. In Scotland, any rain in the north will soon ease, leaving drier conditions for many with broken cloud but showers are likely over southern parts later on. After a cloudy start in places tomorrow, much of the UK will see a mixture of sunny spells and showers through the day. Washout: Spectators at London's Olympic stadium were caught in heavy showers yesterday watching stars from last year's Games compete Downpour: Spectators did not let the bad weather spoil the event Rainy spell: Crowds at the Olympic Park in East London sit through the wet weather, hoping the showers will pass The showers are likely to be frequent and heavy over many western parts of the UK together with much of Scotland with localised thunderstorms developing too. However, parts of eastern and north-east England could also see a few heavy, thundery showers during the afternoon. Turning sunnier and dry near to English Channel coasts later in the afternoon. Tuesday will be a rather cool day with any sunny spells over England and Wales giving way to cloudier skies from the west together with some rain in places. There will be sunny spells and scattered showers for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dramatic: A lightning bolt strikes the Eiffel Tower in Paris during one of the biggest storms ever to hit Paris Participants take part in The Sumo Run in Battesea Park, west London. The Sumo Run is an annual 5km charity fun run around the park in inflatable Sumo suits Fun day out: Participants take part in the annual 5km Sumo Run in west London today On Wednesday, many areas are likely to be rather cloudy with some rain at times but northern Scotland and south-east England will be drier and brighter. The landslip was about 450 metres from where Charlotte Blackman was killed at Burton Bradstock last July Holidaymakers have been warned after a large landslip hit a Dorset coast close to where a young woman was killed last summer. West Dorset lifeguards say there is a 'dangerous overhang' at the cliff top in East Cliff between West Bay and Freshwater. Portland Coastguard said the landslip was about 450 metres from where Charlotte Blackman was killed at Burton Bradstock last July. The beach has now been closed and warning signs put up. The Jurassic coast is prone to landslip. The Dorset Countryside Coastal Ranger team are concerned that people are not aware of the dangers of sunbathing at the base of the cliffs. Senior ranger John Hayes said he was on the beach before it was closed off and saw a young girl 'playing at the base of the cliff with 60 metres of rock above her head and her parents watching on'. Mike Branagan, of Portland coastguards in Dorset, said: 'People should be aware of the cliffs and not linger underneath them.' Last July Charlotte Blackman, 22, from Heanor, Derbyshire, was killed as she walked directly beneath the cliffs moments before it collapsed.