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UK weather forecast: Bets off on August being wettest ever after month’s worth of rain in one day

Betting has been suspended on August being the wettest month of the year, as forecasters have warned that up to 80mm of rain could hit some areas in the next 24 hours.

The Environment Agency has warned that flooding is possible in several places across England and Wales, while a severe yellow weather warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office which states that rail and road travel is likely to be affected by the downpours.

High winds, with gusts of up to 55mph are forecast north of the border in Scotland, where more heavy rain is also predicted.

Downpours are also forecast for many other areas of Britain on Saturday and Sunday, although drier, brighter weather will move in as the rain heads eastwards over the weekend although winds will remain high, forecasters say.

As a result bookmaker Coral said it has suspended betting on this month being the wettest on record.

Flooded roads were reported in Liverpool, north Wales and Chester after Friday’s deluge.

Trains between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster were cancelled or delayed by up to an hour or cancelled because of flooding on the railway.

A tree blocking the railway between Whitland and Carmarthen also caused disruption.

The Met Office, which had issued a severe yellow weather warning for rain, said up to 80mm of rain would hit some areas.

Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer, was forced to cancel an outdoor charity concert in west London because of the wet weather.

Natural Resources Wales issued a flood alert for some low-lying areas in Snowdonia.

The heavy rain was “clearing eastwards as the evening goes on” and Saturday is expected to be clearer, according to Met Office spokeswoman Jo McLellan.

The UK-wide average rainfall for the whole of August is 89.5mm (3.52in).

Sunny spells and showers are nonetheless forecast for early next week, with the heaviest and most prolonged rainfall forecats for across northwestern parts.

The rain should relent by Tuesday, when the sun will reappear in some parts.

The downpours follow the heatwave at the end of last month that broke the record for the UK’s highest ever temperature, of 38.7C.

The UK, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands all broke national records as exceptionally high temperatures gripped large parts of central and western Europe.

Additional reporting by Press Association