A person has died in a mudslide in Carlton-in-Cleveland, on the edge of the North York Moors national park.
North Yorkshire police said the incident occurred at 1.15pm on Wednesday and that no one else was injured.
Emergency services attended the scene and members of the public have been asked to avoid the area, which is cordoned off.
“We would ask the public to refrain from speculation and spreading unverified information,” a police spokesperson said.
“Our thoughts are with [the victim’s] family and friends during this difficult time.”
An amber warning for rain across north Wales and north-west England was issued at midday on Wednesday, with the Met Office warning the “worst is yet to come” and that parts of the UK would have up to a month’s rainfall in 24 hours.
Yellow warnings for rain are also in place across the north of England, the Midlands, north and central Wales and southern and eastern Scotland, and much of the south coast is expected to see lightning and thunder storms.
Jonathan Day, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Heavy and persistent rain means significant inland flooding is probable in parts of the north-west of England and possible more widely today and into tomorrow.
“Significant surface water flooding is also possible across the south of England, where heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely.
“We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.”
