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Page last updated at 10:57 GMT, Wednesday, 9 July 2008 11:57 UK

Heavy rain warning for the South

Flooding in Three Mile Cross in Reading on Tuesday
In June, residents in Three Mile Cross struggled to keep the water out

Heavy rain warnings have been put in force across the south of England.

The Met Office said the wet weather was due to continue into the evening but most areas should be drier by midnight.

Although there are fears of flash floods in the region, the Environment Agency currently has no flood warnings in force.

However, it has placed six rivers in Oxfordshire on flood watch alert. They are the River Thames, Evenlode, Ock, Thame, Ray and the Windrush.

This will be a very wet day
Forecaster Matt Dobson, of MeteoGroup UK

The agency also said flooding of low lying land and roads was expected.

On Wednesday, forecasters warned some areas could experience up to three-quarters of the month's average rainfall in one day, with south-west England and south Wales expected to bear the brunt.

Forecaster Matt Dobson, of MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "This will be a very wet day.

"A band of rain has been falling over the south-west of England since midnight, and a second band is due later today."

The news follows the flash floods which hit many parts of Oxfordshire and Berkshire last month.

Several schools shut and 500 pupils from Peers School in Oxford were sent home.




SEE ALSO
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10 Mar 08 |  Berkshire
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