River Wear flood alert issued due to heavy rain

A flood warning is in place from the River Wear's source to Witton Park

A flood warning has been issued for the area along the upper stretch of the River Wear.

The warning has been put in place across parts of County Durham due to heavy rainfall caused by Storm Gerrit.

Flooding is expected to hit low-lying land, such as riverside footpaths and roads, particularly badly.

The flood alert covers the Upper Wear area, from the river's source to Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, according to Gov.uk.

The government website warned that "further heavy rainfall" is expected throughout the day.

It said: "Avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water."

Storm disruption

Storm Gerrit has been causing disruption across the UK.

In Cumbria, flooded railway lines caused trains to be cancelled and delayed between Carlisle and Lockerbie.

Five flood warnings have been put in place by the Environment Agency (EA), meaning flooding is expected.

The EA said it was "operating pumps" in Yorkshire in response to flooding around the River Hull and its tributaries.

Another 137 flood alerts have been put in place, meaning that flooding is possible in those areas.