Parts of UK facing 'very severe weather'

The UK Met Office has issued a second "red" weather warning after parts of north west England already affected by floods in recent weeks were told to expect more heavy and persistent rain.

The UK Met Office's most serious weather warning was issued for Lancashire on Saturday with a risk of "widespread river flooding." It later issued a similar warning for West Yorkshire.

Fifteen severe flood warnings - indicating a danger to life - have been issued for the north west region by the Environment Agency. The agency has also issued 198 flood warnings and 127 alerts, mainly for the north west, north east and Wales. The severe flood warnings - the agency's highest level - are for locations on the River Ribble and the River Calder.

"Very severe weather conditions are expected," the Met Office said in an advisory on its website. "Widespread flooding will lead to severe disruption to travel and danger to life."

Government minister Rory Stewart said some flood-hit areas could have a month's rainfall in a day with onto ground that's already saturated. "What we've seen is rainfall levels that nobody's ever seen before," Stewart told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.