MEANWHILE HUNDREDS OF HOMES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY WILDFIRES IN THE US.

Northern England flooded

Updated: 08:09, Sunday June 24, 2012

About 140 flood warnings and alerts have been issued in northern England, parts of which have been hit by as much rain in one day as is normal in a month.

In some areas, more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.

The deluges battered revellers at the Isle of Wight Festival and brought havoc to Cumbria which buckled under the worst of the wet weather on Saturday.

Up to 100mm of rain hit the region overnight, while southwest Scotland, Northern Ireland and Lancashire also experienced unusually heavy rainfall.

The UK’s Environment Agency has issued around 140 flood warnings and alerts in northern regions which are also subject to severe weather warnings.