There are several flood alerts in place across Kent, including parts of Maidstone, Weald, Tunbridge Wells and Edenbridge.

The Environment Agency has highlighted areas where river levels are rising as a result of heavy rainfall overnight.

The rivers affected include the River Beult from Yalding, near Maidstone, to Pluckley in Ashford, with Smarden and Staplehurst likely to be the worst hit, and the River Stour, as far as Lenham Heath.

Also impacted are the River Medway - with areas near Tunbridge Wells, including Hartfield, Ashurst and Fordcombe particularly affected - and the rivers Eden and Eden Brook affecting areas of Edenbridge.

With more rain forecast for the next few days until Saturday, the river levels are expected to continue to rise.

The government department said people should avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low roads near rivers.

It said incident response staff are checking flood defences and structures in the areas likely to be worst hit.

A flood warning was in force for River Teise from Lamberhurst to Goudhurst but this has since been removed.

Earlier in the week a yellow weather warning was put in place covering the county.

As well as heavy rain, snow was initially predicted but the situation later changed.

Across the UK 142 flood alerts are in place — the third stage of the scale meaning flooding is possible and residents should be prepared.

There are also 37 flood warnings — meaning flooding is likely and immediate action is required — mainly in the north east of the country.

To check for flood warning updates head to the Environment Agency website.

For all the forecasts, warnings and weather related news, click here.