Flood warnings across England as heavy rain hits events

Riders set off from the start during the Men's Elite Road Race from Leeds to Harrogate — Image caption Riders in the Cycling Road World Championships were being diverted after starting in Leeds

Flood warnings are in place across England and events have been cancelled due to heavy rain.

In Yorkshire, where the Cycling Road World Championships is taking place, organisers said the route had been changed due to concerns for safety.

Cancelled events include the inaugural Regatta London race on the River Thames and racing at Haydock in Merseyside

The heavy rain also led to travel disruption, with a mudslide covering a railway track on Saturday.

Image copyright Northern

Image caption Northern said a mudslide disrupted railway services between Lancashire and Yorkshire

A spokesman for the cycling race said: “The decision was made after extensive consultation with the UCI, our multi-agency partners, the Environment Agency and local mountain rescue teams.

“We know this will be hugely disappointing to the communities in these locations who have been planning events and celebrations to coincide with the race today. We are very sorry.”

The Elite Men’s Road Race, which started in Leeds, is due to finish in Harrogate at an earlier time due to the route being shortened.

A Northern rail spokesman said the fanzone in Harrogate was also closed for the day due to weather and advised spectators to check for updates.

Steve Hopkinson, regional director at Northern, said: “The change of route, and the closure of the fanzone, will be disappointing for cycling fans – but we still expect thousands of people to travel to Harrogate to see the conclusion of the race.”

Image copyright Andy Hutchinson

Image caption The levels on the River Aire in Bradford have risen following heavy rain

Two people and their dog had to be rescued after becoming bogged down during a camping trip in Dartmoor National Park .

The emergency services said they were called at about 02:00 BST but the pair were unable to say where they were in the “extremely poor” conditions.

Four hours later, the man and woman, in their late 20s, were found by Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team.

Image copyright Derbyshire Police

Image caption There were two crashes on the same road in Derbyshire during the heavy rain

In Derbyshire, police said there had been two crashes in the space of an hour on the A50 in Doveridge, tweeting that motorists had been driving “too fast for the conditions”.