HEAVY rain left parts of the country affected by flash flooding today, with further wet and windy weather expected for Sunday when the remnants of Hurricane Bertha are expected to hit the UK.

Forecasters said that currently, southern parts of the country are most at risk from "heavy rainfall, strong coastal winds and large waves", followed by areas of north east Scotland on Monday. But there is also the possibility that the depression could move across northern France.

Locally, the forecast is for heavy rain in St Helens through Sunday morning and afternoon.

Today, heavy downpours led to several streets being left underwater and residents evacuated from their homes in the Lincolnshire town of Louth, while downpours also led to waterlogged roads in Maidstone, Kent.

The Environment Agency has a flood alert in place along Louth Canal and Waithe Beck while there is a flood warning for properties near the Louth Canal from Keddington to High Bridge.

Today's weather is unconnected to Hurricane Bertha, which has been travelling across the Atlantic after hitting the Caribbean islands with gusts of more than 90 mph (145 kph) and leaving thousands of homes without power.

A spokesman for the Met Office said the transition of Bertha from a tropical to an extra-tropical storm was a "particularly hard one to forecast" but it was increasingly expected to affect the UK on Sunday.

Chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: "There is still some uncertainty surrounding this weekend's weather, with the potential for heavy rainfall, strong coastal winds and large waves on Sunday.

"However, there is still a chance that the system may pass to the south of the country giving the UK a brighter day.

"Rain and strong winds may well bring disruption, especially across southern parts of the UK, with the potential for more than 50mm of rain and coastal gusts of over 60mph."