Dozens of towns and villages have been hit by flooding across the country following days of downpours.
The deluge threatened to ruin the ‘Manic Monday’ Christmas getaway for many, with some stranded and others needing rescue by boat.
Currently there are 75 flood warnings in place, the Environment Agency said – meaning immediate action is needed. There were also 192 alerts for possible flooding, from Cornwall to East Yorkshire.
More rain is forecast for today and tomorrow, meaning the situation could get worse in already-swollen rivers, although the Met Office said it was unlikely to be as heavy as over the past few days.
The latest downpours prompted calls for the Prime Minister to act urgently, with Dan Jarvis, the mayor of the Sheffield city region, urging him to set up a ‘Cobra for the north’ to swing into action when floods hit.
Flooded: The Little Venice caravan park near Yalding in Kent was submerged yesterday after the River Medway burst its banks, with water levels remaining high after a second night of heavy rain in the south of England
Emergency: A resident of Little Venice Caravan Park is rescued by boat from the floodwater yesterday morning amid heavy rain
Flood water inundated the Little Venice caravan park near Yalding in Kent after the River Medway burst its banks yesterday
A van drives over a partially submerged Teston Bridge in West Farleigh near Maidstone, Kent, yesterday, with with torrential downpours expected to batter the country and devastate Christmas travel plans on the shortest day of the year
Residents with boots and buckets try to stop the floodwaters entering their home in Yalding yesterday after heavy rain in the area
Floodwaters outside a on River Lane in Alfriston, East Sussex, near the river Uck that burst its banks due to heavy rain
East Sussex: An abandoned car sits in the car park at Alfriston by the river Uck that burst its banks due to heavy rain
Maps showing the weather forecast for the UK on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the run-up to Christmas
Rivers across southern England, including the Medway and Mole in the South East and Stour and Severn in the South West have already burst their banks, leaving nearly 100 properties flooded.
At the Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding, Kent, some holidaymakers had to be evacuated by boat after the overflowing Medway left the area under water.
Postal worker June Chapman made sure residents in the town got their last-minute Christmas cards as she braved the waters with her dog Poppy.
A post office in Hayle, Cornwall, had to relocate to a pub car park after it was inundated with three feet of water, while a post van ploughed on through floods in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset.
Others struggled to finish off the Christmas food shopping, with the car park of a Sainsbury’s in Tonbridge, Kent, flooded while a Tesco delivery van got stuck in rising waters in Alfriston, East Sussex.
Flooded roads have also affected parts of Brighton, Gatwick and Reading.
The Environment Agency said temporary flood defences had been erected in areas including Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, Leatherhead and Guildford in Surrey and Canterbury in Kent.
In Surrey, homeowners were rallying round to help with a Christmas clean-up after a freak tornado damaged homes in Chertsey.
Astonishing video footage captured the moment debris including fence panels was thrown into the air and across the nearby M25. Miraculously, no one was injured.
The Highways Agency urged drivers to take extra care and check their routes, with 16 million car journeys expected today on what has been called Manic Monday.
Despite the warnings, the Met Office cautiously predicted that the weather is expected to improve. Steven Keates said: ‘The next couple of days offer a bit of a respite.’
A car lies abandoned and partly underwater in Alfriston, East Sussex, by the river Uck that burst its banks due to heavy rain
Forecast: Weather graphics show heavy rain sweeping across the south of England yesterday
A submerged car in Yalding, Kent, after the area flooded following heavy rain which has disrupted Christmas travel
A man uses a bucket to clear water out of his home in Yalding, Kent on Sunday afternoon
Residents of Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding paddle near a telephone box yesterday after the caravan site was evacuated
A tow truck drives through floodwater near Yalding, Kent, after heavy rain which is throwing Christmas plans into chaos
A car throws up spray towards the pavement as it drives through a flooded road in the centre of Eynsford, Kent, yesterday
Two pedestrians with a dog follow a car over Teston Bridge amid heavy flooding near Maidstone on another day of heavy rain
A horse box is seen submerged in floodwater at Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding on Sunday morning
A car drives over the partially submerged Teston Bridge with millions of motorists facing travel chaos on Sunday
A rainbow above Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Yalding which has been severely flooded by the torrential rain
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
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
Yesterday there was flooding at Blackwater station in Hampshire, forcing rail travellers to take replacement buses until the line towards Reading re-opened.
Great Northern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern rail services were all disrupted into Sunday morning.
Later, passengers faced delays on a Great Western Railway service from Paddington to Penzance after the train was hit by waves as it travelled along the sea wall near Newton Abbot in Devon.
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.
At the caravan park in Kent, residents of 115 mobile homes were evacuated by motorboat after the River Medway burst its banks on Saturday.
Yesterday people were seen paddling down footpaths which had turned to canals, after fire crews used inflatable boats to reach the residents who were most at risk.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service says the caravan park is likely to be cut off for at least the next few days before the water subsides.
Two pedestrians walk on the pavement beside a car which is driving through high waters in Eynsford, Kent yesterday
Residents of Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding, Kent, are rescued by motorboat from floodwaters after heavy rain
A man in Wellington boots leaves his house yesterday in East Sussex on a road which flooded when a nearby river burst its banks
Floodwater at Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding which is expected to be cut off for at least the next few days
A tow truck passes a stranded car in floodwater near Yalding, Kent, yesterday after heavy rain which has disrupted the Christmas travel plans of millions
A man wearing a green helmet paddles along what is usually a footpath in Yalding, Kent, which was heavily affected by floods
People canoe down a road near the flooded caravan park in Yalding on a second day of heavy rain in much of the South
A bleak view of Yalding near the Little Venice caravan park which had to be evacuated when the river burst its banks
A car is stranded in floodwater near Yalding amid very high water levels following torrential rain in the south of England
Flooding in the centre of Eynsford yesterday brought the water levels even higher than usual
Floodwater at Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding, Kent, after heavy rain which has disrupted Christmas travel plans
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 yesterday 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 yesterday morning
Meteorologist Steven Keates said on Sunday afternoon: ‘Yesterday’s rain is slowly clearing in eastern England – it’s fairly light and patchy now, there’s not really too much falling but it’s totted up the rainfall and the flooding issues across the south overnight.’
‘The good news is that the next couple of days offer a bit of a respite.
‘There’s a bit of rain in the forecast mostly in the form of showers but the rainfall amounts in areas affected by flooding in recent days will be relatively small and won’t greatly exacerbate the problem.’
But as groundwater levels across parts of the south are still very high, there are likely to be ongoing flood issues in the region.
Mr Keates added: ‘There is still some rain in the forecast but on the whole it’s not looking as wet as it has in the last few days which I think for most people is good news.’
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
Flood warnings and alerts are expected to remain in place until at least Christmas Eve until rain starts to clear the South on Christmas Day.
December 25 itself will see lows of 23F (-5C) in Scotland and 27F (-3C) in the South of England, with possible ice and frost but mainly dry skies.
Sunny spells follow later on Christmas Day – good news for families planning to walk off a turkey lunch.
Forecaster Marco Petagna said: ‘There’s potential for further transport disruption, with flood warnings and alerts, rain at times on Monday affecting much of England and Wales and rain at times on Christmas Eve in the Midlands and South.
‘Allow extra time for journeys, watch out for standing water and do not drive through flood water.
‘We don’t expect a white Christmas as Christmas Day looks dry – but colder than now, with a north-westerly flow coming in on Christmas Eve, and high pressure.
‘Ice patches and frost are certainly possible in the South and North, but most should have sunny spells afterwards for a walk after the turkey.
‘Wet and windy weather is likely on Boxing Day and Friday, with more unsettled weather on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, especially in the North and West, with a changeable start to the new year.’
The Environment Agency said: ‘Local flooding is possible more widely at times until Tuesday across the South and Midlands. Properties could flood and there could be travel disruption.’
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
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
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.’