Merseyside Fire Service said it responded to about 100 calls for help on Sunday morning.

The storms struck on both sides of the River Mersey.

Heswall, West Kirkby and Hoylake in Wirral were particularly badly hit by the storms.

'Checking homes'

While on the other bank of the river, the Crosby and Waterloo districts also suffered problems.

Alex McDougal, of Merseyside Fire Service, said: "We had most of our fire engines on the road.

"We also had three officers who were on the road who were out checking addresses to see if our services could be of assistance to people."