Britain is bracing for weather chaos today with torrential downpours expected to batter the country and devastate Christmas travel plans on the shortest day of the year.
Flood defences are going up across England with 91 immediate flood warnings and another 237 less severe flood alerts in place this morning, with a yellow weather warning in place.
The weather is likely to bring misery to motorists queuing for up to an hour on the M25 in the Christmas getaway rush, with 2.5million road trips expected today and rail services also disrupted.
Southern England faces a yellow weather warning with homes likely to be flooded, after a caravan park had to be evacuated in Kent yesterday and Surrey was even hit by a tornado, damaging property and downing trees.
A van drives over a partially submerged Teston Bridge in West Farleigh near Maidstone, Kent, today
Flood water spreads across the road in Eynsford, Kent after the River Darent burst its banks overnight. The already saturated ground has made conditions worse
One drone shot shows the extent of the flooding in Essex. There are currently 105 flood warnings and 260 flood alerts across the country
The town of St Ives in Cambridgeshire surrounded by rising flood water on Saturday morning after the River Great Ouse bursts it banks after the recent heavy rainfall
Residents in Chertsey and Shepperton in Surrey saw a tornado pass through the area damaging property and downing trees. This image shows trees strewn across the road in Bittams Lane, Chertsey
The River Darent in Eynsford, Kent has burst its banks overnight due to the continued heavy rain. The riverside road is closed at one end near the ford bridge
Trees strewn across the road in Bittams Lane, Chertsey after a tornado hit the area this morning
A car in seen nearly submerged in flood water near Billericay, Essex. Southern England will see the worst parts of the weather tday
Fields are pictured completely submerged by the water. It has been predicted that two weeks’ worth of rain will fall in the next 24 hours
Environment Agency flood defences have been installed in Leatherhead, Surrey after fears that the river Mole would flood parts of the high street and surrounding houses. River levels remain high after heavy overnight rain in the south
Today will also see rain fall in the South and many parts of the North and Scotland, with similar temperatures expected
The Met Office shared images of the tornado on its Twitter account yesterday afternoon
Residents in Chertsey and Shepperton in Surrey have shared videos of a tornado passing through the area damaging property and downing trees, with the Met Office confirming it happened this morning. Pictured: a garden destroyed by the tornado
Flood water three-foot high in parts on the Lees Road, Yalding as men in a black Land Rover try to recover a white van from the water. The River Medway in Yalding, Kent has bursts its banks causing severe flooding to the village
A woman wades through water at Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Yalding which has been severely flooded. Residents of the lodge and caravan community are having to use boats to get on and off the site
Passengers at Euston station this morning make their way to trains to get home. Many have chosen to travel this morning due to delays and cancellations last night
A Santa on his way home from a school Christmas function had to be rescued by a farmer near Shaftesbury in Dorset yesterday
Wash Road in Welney has been severely flooded. Southern England will see the worst of the wet conditions today and overnight
Multiple fire engines were seen in Chertsey after a tornado brought down trees and caused travel disruption yesterday
Fallen trees block the road in Chertsey after the tornado ripped through Surrey this morning at around 10.30am
The Met Office says heavy rain is expected to move across southern England today, stretching from the outskirts of London all the way across the south coast and down to Cornwall and Devon.
With warnings of flooding and spray on roads, the RAC says 2.5million leisure trips are expected on the roads today with another 6.2million preparing to get away before Christmas Day.
Drivers face queues of more than an hour and a half between Flitwick and Daventry today, with hour-long traffic jams expected on the M25 clockwise between the junctions for the M23 and M40.
The RAC has warned motorists to expect ‘bumper-to-bumper’ traffic over the next few days, with 31.2 million journeys set to be taken in the week before Christmas.
Data from transport specialists INRIX shows the M1 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, the northern and western sections of the clockwise M25, and M6 in the West Midlands are expected to see the worst delays over the next week.
Ben Aldous, of the RAC, said ‘bumper-to-bumper traffic on some motorways and major A-roads’ was ‘near-guaranteed’.
He said: ‘It looks as though millions of drivers are planning to complete their Christmas getaway trips this week.
‘Unfortunately, when you add in the prospect of unsettled weather, with heavy rain and strong winds in some parts, these are likely to be pretty unpleasant drives.’
Great Northern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern rail services are all expected to be disrupted until midday on Sunday.
This morning there was flooding at Blackwater station in Hampshire, forcing rail travellers to take replacement buses until the line towards Reading re-opened.
There were also urgent track repairs needed on the Midland Main Line at Kentish Town, although it was unclear if these were related to the weather.
Bonnie Diamond, of the Met Office, said that away from the South, the rest of England and Wales was set to experience a mixture of sunshine and showers.
She added: ‘During Sunday, a ridge of high pressure is due to build, meaning more settled conditions, although it could turn colder by day, with the possibility of frosts at night.’
A group of young people from Faith Inspire are pictured at the Leicester Outdoor pursuit centre being ferried across the car park to the entrance
A man and woman put on a brave face during flooding in the village of Yalding, Kent. Water levels rose significantly overnight
Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Yalding has been severely flooded and residents of the lodge and caravan community are having to use boats to get on and off the site
The River Medway in Yalding, Kent has bursts its banks causing severe flooding to the village. Pictured: men use small boats to get around
The sun briefly shines on to flood water filled fields south of Pulborough, West Sussex after the River Arun burst its banks and flooded local businesses and farm land
The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman passes over the Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire
Onlookers stand before the Flying Dutchman as it goes over the stunning viaduct during its journey on Saturday afternoon
A house on the river bank lies submerged in water at the village of Alfriston, East Sussex, after the river Uck burst its banks on Saturday
A Tesco van and a SUV lie submerged in water at the village of Alfriston following the bursting of the river Uck’s banks
Men in a black Land Rover try to recover a white van from the flood water in Yalding
This photo issued by Connor Passey shows the damage after the tornado hit Chertsey in Surrey on Saturday
Southern England was the worst-affected part of the country on Saturday, with the River Darent bursting its banks in Eynsford, Kent and the village of Yalding being submerged.
A tornado brought trees down on cars and flipped over vehicles in Chertsey, Surrey, forcing emergency services to send four fire engines to the scene.
Yesterday’s rain also caused a section of the promenade in Southsea, Hampshire, to collapse. The stretch had already been identified by the council as ‘dangerous’ and repairs will now take place.
The M23 was shut yesterday in both directions because of flooding near Crawley, West Sussex.
The closure brought gridlock around Gatwick airport, with tailbacks several miles long reported on alternative routes.
The River Rother also burst its banks in another part of Wets Sussex, blocking roads.
There was misery for rail travellers too with Great Northern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern services all expected to be disrupted until midday on Sunday.
One frustrated commuter yesterday morning shared a video of Euston station showing crowds pushing their way through the ticket hall to get to their trains home for Christmas.
Southern rail said: ‘For now you should travel as you usually would, but be sure to check closer to the time of your journey as the weather and its effects can be unpredictable.’
Marco Petagna from the Met Office said: ‘It is a showery picture in the south and south west with fairly heavy rain moving up over the country.
‘There is also a fog warning in place in Northern Ireland today until 1pm and rain warnings are in place for the south of the country.’
He added that travel may continue to be disrupted and that those going home for Christmas should allow extra time for journeys and be prepared.
Temperatures remain average for this time of year with the north of England seeing 6-7C and the south seeing 8-10C.
But there was some festive cheer from forecasters – the weather is due to turn more settled next week and Christmas Day is set to be largely dry with sunny spells.
A house lies with a hole in its roof after debris from the tornado in Chertsey struck on Saturday
Video footage from this morning at Euston station shows crowds of people heading to their trains to go home for the festive season
Power cuts, disruption to transport and difficult driving conditions warnings are also issued for the upcoming days in Yalding (pictured)
One woman at Euston station took to social media to express her frustration at the busy scenes this morning as people head home for Christmas
One man posted this image taken at Victoria station, showing crowds of passengers waiting for trains
Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Yalding has been severely flooded. A man wades through the flood water as people get around in boats in the background
The M23 was shut yesterday in both directions because of flooding near Crawley, West Sussex, as workers battled to stem the tide
River Thames flooding at Datchet yesterday. Southern rail have said that spells of heavy rain or showers may cause flooding on the railway leading to some potential disruption
In Sussex the River Rother overflows. Some 57 flood warnings, where a flood is expected, were issued yesterday across central and southern England
Flooding in Essex yesterday following heavy rain which caused cars to be stuck after the downpours with more rain due to fall today
Two swans float by after flooding of the River Thames at Datchet
River Thames flooding at Datchet. A man surveys the flood scene as he perches on a partly submerged bench on a break from his cycling
A landslip blocks trains between Guildford and Godalming yesterday. Rail commuters also faced delays after tracks were left under water inches deep at Frant Station, Tunbridge Wells, East Sussex, yesterday morning
Road to ruin: Workers battle to stem the tide as the motorway is blocked in both directions after a river burst its bank near Crawley yesterday
Couple put their home on STILTS after facing losing it following severe flooding damage
A couple who faced losing their home after it was damaged by flooding are in fear no more after putting it on stilts.
Dawn and Sam Ray have lived close to the banks of the River Severn for nearly 50 years, and they took occasional flooding for granted until the house was flooded by 4ft 6in of water in 2007.
Determined not to be beaten, the pair spent more than £100,000 having builders lift part of the house onto 12ft-high stilts – meaning they are high and dry in all weathers.
Dawn and Sam Ray at their home near the banks of the River Severn which was rebuilt on stilts to raise it up above any flooding in future
The pair spent more than £100,000 having builders lift part of the house onto stilts – meaning they are high and dry in all weathers
Mrs Ray, 78, said: ‘We’ve lived here for over 45 years so there’s no chance we’re going anywhere. In the floods of 2007 the front room was under 4ft of water.
‘We could have had it put right by insurance but it would have happened again two or three times since so we decided to go down this route. We definitely made the right decision. We’ve got no worries at all and it’s an excellent place to live.’
The couple spent six months living in Ray’s ‘man cave’ – a shed nicknamed ‘Chez Ray’ while builders spent six months painstakingly moving the house onto four, 12ft high stilts.
Mr Ray said: ‘We lived in the shed for six months while the house was being built. The house is basically a bungalow on stilts.’
Mr Ray is pictured in floodwater. The couple took occasional flooding for granted until the house was flooded by 4ft 6in of water in 2007
The house close to the banks of the River Severn was flooded in 2007 before being rebuilt – and it is now on 12ft-high stilts
During the recent flooding in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, Mr Ray said the house has been unscathed. The couple have even been marooned at the house for up to a week.
Mr Ray, 82, said: ‘We’ve had a bit of seepage underneath but we would have had a foot in the old house. Now we can just sit and watch the water appear.
‘We do get marooned but the way we look at it is that if we can’t get out than no one else can get in. We stock up with supplies. The longest we’ve been marooned is a week.
‘When we were younger we just used to wade through the water to where the car was uphill. It was an adventure, now we just take it in our stride. Sometime’s it’a bit like living in a castle.’
Mr and Mrs Ray finally moved into their new home early in 2009 – and have been dry ever since.
Mr Ray said: ‘It wasn’t sellable and we like living here. The water can’t reach us now. A lot of people say we’ve done the right thing. As we get older we intend to stay at the house. There’s just the one flight of steps so it’s quite easy.’