Massive floods cripple southern England.

Hundreds of desperate motorway drivers are still stranded after torrential rain flooded roads.

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Many who had set out despite warnings not to travel as extreme weather swept parts of the country had to seek refuge in emergency centres.

The worst-hit area was the M5 in Worcestershire, which has been at a standstill since last night.

Strensham Services on the southbound carriageway ran out of petrol and diesel, leaving motorists with more problems.

Many drivers are still waiting to move after spending the night in their cars. Some have no food or water and many have been stranded for well over 12 hours.

Others abandoned their vehicles and joined more than 600 people in a leisure centre in Gloucester.

Centre manager Cathy Daley told Sky News: "People have coped very well. We've had very few moans and groans - they're just pleased they had somewhere warm and dry to stay."

Torrential rain more usually seen in the Tropics deluged Britain on Friday, leading to flash floods and chaos across the country.

Some areas have seen twice the monthly average of rain in only a few hours.

The Environment Agency has issued dozens of flood warnings.

A Coastguard rescue helicopter has been called in to help with the evacuation of people in Tewkesbury and Evesham.

RAF helicopters worked through the night to rescue people in the area.

There are severe delays on the transport network with rail and roads suffering as well as many airports.

At Heathrow, it's one of the busiest weekends of the year as the school holidays begin, and there are warnings of yet more holdups.

Sky weather forecasters say more rain is on the way at the beginning of next week, adding to concerns for many areas.