Suffolk roads flooded after Thursday's downpour of rain

The Environment Agency issued flood alerts for the River Lark near Mildenhall, the Little Ouse River between Rickinghall and Hockwold and the River Dove near Mendlesham amid Thursday's downpour.

Drivers were warned rivers could burst their banks and were urged to take care if they were travelling on low-lying roads.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain for the whole of Suffolk, while a yellow warning for wind was in place for the eastern half of the county.

Bardwell Road in Barningham was closed due to flooding (Image: Suffolk Highways)

Several roads were closed after they were left submerged under water due to the torrential rain.

This included Bardwell Road in Barningham, near Bury St Edmunds, which was visited by workers from Suffolk Highways.

The authority said 20 tanker loads of water were removed from the road but it was unable to be cleared and remained shut.

Pump House Corner along Colchester Road in Bures, which is prone to flooding, was also left under water for most of Thursday, though it did not close.

Colchester Road in Bures flooded earlier this week (Image: Newsquest)

The wind speeds were forecast to reach as high as 60mph in parts of the county.

There was even a small chance of tornadoes forming in the south-east of the country, according to the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation.

Despite the high winds, the Orwell Bridge south of Ipswich remained open and without a reduced speed limit.

Suffolk has been badly hit by wet weather throughout this week, which has caused delays for motorists.

It has emerged in the last few days that East Anglia has experienced its wettest February since records began nearly 180 years ago.

Since the autumn, Suffolk has been hit by several major storms that have caused damage to buildings and left roads and properties flooded.