West Midlands weather: Downpours leave cars stranded in flood water

Forecasters say rain will begin to ease into the weekend with sunny spells but the threat of showers remains.

Motorists faced "treacherous" driving conditions thanks to the intense rainfall leaving flooding.

A flood alert was in place on the River Severn due to high water levels in Bewdley.

Officials warned roads and farmland in the area could be flooded over the next few days.

A music festival featuring pop band Scouting for Girls at Himley Park, near Dudley, has also been cancelled this weekend due to waterlogged grounds.

Travel advice and flood alerts

Motorists were being warned about treacherous driving conditions as summer storms continued to bring heavy rain.

Drivers were also hit with delays on a stretch of the M6 Northbound, between Junction 13 for Stafford South and Junction 14 for Stafford North.

Emergency repairs were carried out on the stretch, with approximately 4.5 miles of congestion due to potholes appearing.

A lane was closed as delays hit 30 minutes during peak travel hours this morning.

There was also flooding in Stafford's Victoria Park on the banks of the River Sow in the town centre.

Flood defences were also being put up in Bewdley, next to the River Severn.

Water rose to a height of 10.3ft (3.1m) with river levels expected to peak in the coming days.

The usual range in more extreme weather conditions is between 0.68ft (0.21m) and 10.8ft (3.30m) – and current conditions mean it has the water has been between those two levels for 90 per cent of the time.

There were also alerts affecting the river at Stourport.

And a driver also found themselves in deep water after a car got trapped at Trescott Ford, near Wolverhampton.

It came as more than 90 flood warnings and alerts were in place across England.

And Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said three people had to be rescued from a car stuck in a ford in a village near Sutton Coldfield late on Wednesday night.

Summer music festival postponed

The organisers of SummerFest 2019 have been forced to cancel and postpone the charity festival.

It was due to take place this Sunday but it has now been postponed due to the interest of public safety.

The ground at the park was deemed unsafe by Dudley Council and venue management at Himley Hall.

Artists such as Scouting For Girls and Becky Hill were due to headline the festival, which supports Mary Stevens Hospice, and both acts have agreed to return later in the summer.

Dates proposed include July 28 and August 10.

Hospice staff will update festival-goers about the details of the new event as soon as possible.

WATCH the latest weather forecast

Showers are expected to continue into the evening, leaving a largely dry night.

Further rainfall is expected to arrive from the southwest by dawn tomorrow.

Sunny spells are expected to break up the rainfall, although some scattered showers of rain are expected – occasionally heavy – in the afternoon.

The weekend is expected to remain unsettled, the Met Office said, with a mixture of sunny spells and showers.

Temperatures, however, look set to become slightly warmer as we enter next week.

Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said there were currently no Met Office weather warnings in place for Friday and the weekend, with conditions forecast to be calmer.

The weather is expected to be drier, warmer and sunnier, but with the risk of heavy and thundery showers in some places.