MORNING commuters were drenched today as heavy rains battered East Lancashire.

The Met Office had warned bad weather could affect the country as a developing storm was expected to hit the UK yesterday and make its way north.

But the situation here was not as bad as in southern England, where there were flash floods and power cuts.

A Met Office ‘yellow warning’ for rain is in place across the region, and the River Irwell near Haslingden, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall is on flood alert.

A spokesman said: “Heavy rain could result in some surface water flooding and minor river flooding to low lying land and road.”