In pictures: April showers batter Britain
![Cars are seen under scaffolding after it collapsed in high winds in Portsmouth]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/c3/86e46e10de87a682f63f8734778d/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "Cars are seen under scaffolding after it collapsed in high winds in Portsmouth (Chris Ison/PA Wire)")
![A woman's umbrella is blown inside-out as she walks through a heavy rain shower on Oxford Street in London]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/16/e11d831712b5f593bf36a36c669/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "A woman's umbrella is blown inside-out as she walks through a heavy rain shower on Oxford Street in London (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)")
![A car drives through an enormous puddle near Epsom, Surrey]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/3b/5542dcdd3c1606e8a98960ec8d15/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "A car drives through an enormous puddle near Epsom, Surrey (Steve Parsons/PA Wire)")
![Shoppers use their umbrellas to shield from rain in Stratford-upon-Avon city centre]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/13/bdeef60e5e5ef2fc718b56fa10f3/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "Shoppers use their umbrellas to shield from rain in Stratford-upon-Avon city centre (Rui Vieira/PA Wire)")
![Drops of rain fall in Ashford, Kent]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/a8/9c134a366dcac6249b15d3cd7f9484/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "Drops of rain fall in Ashford, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)")
![People shelter from the rain outside the Bank of England in London]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/cf/e994a573b6df921605ff037a61aa/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "People shelter from the rain outside the Bank of England in London (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)")
![Heavy rain on the M20 in Ashford, Kent]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/b6/1e27265873d0c3239e415a4d569c/_h353_w628_m6_ofalse_lfalse.jpg"}} "Heavy rain on the M20 in Ashford, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)")
Downpours cause flash floods and disruption around the country
Images of the downpours that have fallen across the country this week See gallery
Heavy rain is continuing to fall across large parts of the UK. The Environment Agency has said five flood warnings remain in place in south-west England, where some areas saw up to two inches of rain on Wednesday. More than 40 flood alerts are also in place across the rest of the country. Forecasters expect the wet weather to continue into next week. In this picture, a shopper uses a carrier bag to shield herself from rain in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Portsmouth
Cars are seen under scaffolding after it collapsed in high winds in Portsmouth on Wednesday. The scaffolding had been erected while decorators painted the Royal Beach Hotel.
London
A woman's umbrella is blown inside-out as she walks through a heavy rain shower on Oxford Street in London. Elsewhere, high winds tore through Rugby in Warwickshire, blowing the roof from one home and damaging others in what residents described as a "mini tornado".
Surrey
A car drives through an enormous puddle near Epsom, Surrey. The Environment Agency has previously warned that the drought gripping swathes of England could increase the risk of flash flooding, as rain is less easily absorbed by dry, compacted soils, instead running off and causing localised floods.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Shoppers use their umbrellas to shield from rain in Stratford-upon-Avon city centre. Richard Aylard, from Thames Water, one of seven companies which have brought in hosepipe bans in response to the drought, said "a couple of wet weeks" was not enough to reverse record dry conditions seen in the region in the past two years.
Kent
Drops of rain fall in Ashford, Kent. Paul Mott, forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "It's going to stay unsettled over the next seven days with frequent showers and persistent rain. Sunday looks to be a washout with up to an inch of rain falling across England and Wales."
London
People shelter from the rain outside the Bank of England in London.
Kent
Heavy rain on the M20 in Ashford, Kent.
