Driving rain and strong winds have hit the Olympic torch relay route as the flame travels from Cumbria to Lancashire.
The beacon is being carried from Kendal to Blackpool as rain lashes northwest England.
The Environment Agency has sent out teams to check flood defences and clear river blockages in the area, to try to reduce the risk of flooding.
Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "It's a very poor day for June. Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester are all being particularly badly hit by the driving rain.
"The rain could continue for up to 12 hours, before moving northwards over Scotland."
The Met Office has an amber weather warning in place which means there is the possibility of localised flooding and surface water in those areas.
But it is expected that the weather will improve slightly over the weekend - although the outlook for the Wimbledon Championships , which start on Monday, is bleak.
She added: "On Saturday, the South East will get the best of the weather, while the northwest can expect the rain to become much lighter.
"Rain will then spread east bringing a wet start to Sunday, but it should turn drier and brighter for most places later.
"Next week still looks uncertain, but there is a possibility of some warmer weather towards the end of the week."
The Environment Agency is encouraging people to check its website and Twitter feed for the latest updates and warnings, with a number of flood alerts and more serious warnings expected throughout the day.
People are also being warned to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through floodwater.
Many parts of England and Wales have been hit by flooding in recent weeks in the face of unusually wet weather, which came after two dry winters in a row that had left swathes of England in drought.
