UK Flooding Update: 360 Flood Alerts Place Across England, Wales, Scotland

Heavy rains soaked parts of the United Kingdom Saturday, causing rivers to overflow and flood populated areas. More than 360 flood alerts were in effect across northern England, Wales and Scotland, including 20 severe alerts, indicating danger to life, according to the Telegraph.

Homes were evacuated in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and rivers overflowed in Manchester and Leeds, according to the BBC. Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted that he would look into the response to the flooding. He was expected to visit affected areas Sunday.

The flood warnings came as forecasters predicted some 4.7 inches of rain in areas that were already saturated from persistent winter rainfall.

Both the River Irwell and the River Roch overflowed, which caused flooding in Salford, Manchester and Rochdale. Roads in central Leeds were under water and people in York near a river were warned to move valuable possessions upstairs and to prepare to evacuate.

The BBC said its forecaster Alex Deakin predicted the heavy rain would move south after midnight, finally giviing the north a reprieve. Less intense rainfall could continue, however.

Residents in the village of Waldsen told the Telegraph about the flooding of its main road, King Street, which had been flooded just two weeks prior as well. “It’s just horrific, really bad,” Kellie Hughes, a hairdresser who lives on the street, told the Telegraph. “I’ve got the sandbags down here and [am] just doing the best I possibly can. There are no more sandbags anywhere. People are panicking. That’s my business and my home, it’s a double whammy.”

The Manchester Evening News has a live blog showing photos of streets wrecked by flooding, along with witness accounts from people who saw a pub called the Waterside collapse into the River Irwell.

“I heard a loud crumbling and crashing sound," Adrian Costello told the paper. "I turned to my left and watched the Waterside crumble into the river from being fully intact to disintegrating in front of my eyes. It was like a scene from a film. It was gone in a few seconds."