UK flood alerts remain as heavy rain spreads Tom Burke clears floodwater from his house in Croston, Lancashire, after the river Yarrow burst its banks. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Large swaths of England and Wales remain on alert as heavy rain that brought flash flooding to parts of Wales and Shropshire is expected to extend southwards on Saturday. The Environment Agency has 12 flood warnings in place in England and Wales - six in the south-west, four in the Midlands and two in the Anglian area - as well as 58 flood alerts. An agency spokesman urged people across central and eastern England to "remain vigilant as heavy thunderstorms are forecast to affect large swaths of the country." "Locally intense showers falling on already saturated ground could lead to surface-water flooding and possible river flooding from fast-responding rivers, particularly across parts of the Midlands and East Anglia," he said. The Met Office warns that many areas are expected to see between 20mm and 30mm of rain, but some parts could see up to 60mm - almost a month's worth of rain - in just a few hours. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning, meaning the public should be prepared for heavy rain and localised flooding, for parts of south-east England, the Midlands and East Anglia. Forecaster George Goodfellow said: "Overnight we have had an overhang of yesterday's band of persistent, heavy showers in the Midlands and north Wales which have drifted further south into south-east England. There have been some really heavy showers with places getting 5-10mm of rain in an hour. Three people were rescued overnight from their homes in Shropshire, where part of the A49 remains closed. Showers are also predicted for the south-west of England. The Environment Agency said there was a continued risk of flooding from rising groundwater across parts of Dorset as local drainage systems struggle to cope with the rainfall. John Curtin, head of incident management at the agency, said: "The combination of saturated ground, high river levels and further forecasts of torrential rain mean people must remain vigilant." The agency said teams had been mobilised across the country to check on flood defences, clear any river blockages and closely monitor river levels over the coming days. People are being urged not to drive or walk through floodwater, which can be dirty, dangerous and full of hidden debris. There are currently no flood alerts or warnings for Scotland.