Five rivers in Oxfordshire have now been placed on Flood Watch alerts by the Environment Agency following heavy rain.

This morning only the River Evenlode, from Moreton-in-Marsh to Cassington, near Witney, was on Floodwatch, but the rivers Ray, Thame, Windrush and Cherwell were later put on alert.

A Flood Watch warning means that flooding of low-lying land and roads is expected, while a Flood Warning indicates that some properties are at risk of flooding.

Helen Chivers, a spokesman for the Met Office, said heavy rain was forecast for the region today, with between 15mm and 25mm falling by the end of the afternoon.

She said: “It is not a huge amount but following recent heavy rain, groundwater levels are already quite high.

“The rain is not expected to persist for too long and following showers tonight and tomorrow morning we might start to see some sunshine.”

Source: Witney Gazette