M5 flooding: Motorists left stranded and forced to be rescued on motorway after deluge

Drivers are abandoning their cars on the M5 amid "significant" floods on the motorway caused by horror heavy rain overnight.

Part of the motorway in Gloucestershire is currently closed in both directions owing to the sheer volume of water on the road surface. Fire crews are at the scene to help rescue stranded drivers whose vehicles are stuck in the flooding, with huge traffic jams in the area.

National Highways and police are also at the scene. Avon Fire & Rescue said on X: "We're currently working to rescue people stranded on the motorway. The M5 is closed in both directions between J16 and J14 due to flooding heavy rainfall.

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"We advise motorists to avoid travelling in the area. Northbound is closed between J16 and J14 and southbound is closed between J14 and J15." The motorway nightmare is causing havoc on other roads in the area, as the A38 is reported to have ten miles of queues.

National Highways said in a statement: "Avon and Somerset Fire & Rescue are working with the Environment Agency, police, our traffic officers and contractors at scene to clear the flooding as soon as possible. There are currently delays of up to 45 minutes on approach to the closure point in both directions."

The flooding comes as a yellow warning for rain remains for huge parts of the country, covering the south, Wales and West Midlands. The weather has caused havoc for people on trains, as well as on the road. In Wymondham, Norfolk, a downed tree between Norwich and Ely is causing delays of at least an hour.

Elsewhere, buses replace trains between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton until around noon thanks to a tree on a line and flooding at Wellington station. Heavy rain flooding the railway between Banbury and Bicester North means all lines are currently closed.

Kate Marks, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Heavy rainfall across the country means significant river and surface water flooding impacts are possible in parts of central England into Friday. Minor river flooding impacts are also possible in parts of north-east England today and Friday.

“Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car."