Heavy rain and gales of up to 114mph have returned to Britain this morning - just days after the last storm caused Christmas misery for tens of thousands of people.
More than 100,000 families were bracing themselves for more severe flooding as the Met Office issued yellow and amber weather warnings, indicating 'severe or hazardous weather' with potential to 'cause danger to life or widespread disruption'.
The fresh storm, which struck last night, will spread east across the whole of the UK throughout the morning, with the worst-affected areas expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales, the Met Office said.
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A resident in Yalding, Kent, removing bottles of wine from her home as she prepares for more flooding
Ruin: Guildford town centre on Christmas Day (left) and emerging from the flood (right)
Residents in Yalding, Kent survey the scene as they brace themselves for the possibility of more flooding with another storm on the way
A boat floats next to a submerged car at a marina following heavy rain in East Farleigh, southern England
A submerged tractor is seen in Wateringbury. Forecasters are predicting more high winds and rain, and the Environment Agency has warned of further flooding
Warning: The fresh storm, shown as of 7am today, will spread east across the whole of the UK throughout the morning, with the worst-affected areas expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales
Police and fire services up and down the country have already reported road closures because of uprooted trees, as many commuters returned to work after Christmas.
The Met Office recorded a gust of wind in Aberdaron, in west Wales, of 109mph early this morning - with general wind speeds of between 60mph and 80mph expected in the UK.
The Environment Agency (EA) is warning of more 'significant disruption' across southern England, saying: 'It is possible that heavy rain may worsen the current flooding situation in some areas with rivers responding quickly to rain falling on already saturated ground.'
Almost-constant rain is now predicted to fall on the saturated land, exacerbating ongoing river flooding across the Somerset Levels, River Severn, River Thames and River Ouse in Cambridgeshire and rivers across Essex, as well as along the River Medway and the Kentish Stour around Ashford and Canterbury.
There are 52 flood warnings and 157 flood alerts in place, but the EA said the number of alerts may increase as rivers respond to the further band of rainfall.
It comes after more than 43,000 people were left without power following Monday night's storm and around 1,200 properties were flooded in England, while would-be travellers were stranded in shut airports and stations.
The Environment Agency has been forced to contact more than 100,000 homeowners to warn them they are at risk of flooding. There are particular fears for elderly and vulnerable people.
Six people have been killed so far and that figure may rise as rivers flood and trees are felled by fierce gales.
Homeowners in the south face more festive flooding as rain washes over saturated ground and into swollen rivers. Above, a car stranded in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, this morning
Pleasure boats washed up on the towpath in Guildford when the River Wey broke its banks. Gales of up to 90mph are due to batter northern England and northern parts of Wales this evening
The River Wey in Godalming, Surrey after floods hit the area. Many people are facing a miserable end to the week following power cuts and travel chaos
Foggy driving conditions this morning on the M40 in Oxfordshire. The new storm set to sweep across Britain prompted renewed calls for people to prepare for more pain in the rain as the Environment Agency issued 80 flood warnings
John Griffiths, a forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said: 'There will be some very, very strong winds and blustery showers in places. The winds will start to pick up and today there will be some strong gusts of wind going up to 90mph.'
The worst-affected areas are expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales. Helen Roberts, from the Met Office, said: 'We have another strong storm pushing in from the west overnight and another on Friday.
'It is going to bring a spell of rain and very strong winds in places. The rain will fall on already-saturated ground following Monday's storm, so that is going to bring new problems.'
Mrs Roberts warned of freezing temperatures and winds of 60mph inland, and far higher near coasts.
She said: 'These winds would be strong enough to bring down trees, especially if they have been loosened because of the weather earlier this week.
'There will be showers right the way through to the new year.'
In Kent, Teston Bridge was flooded near a level crossing due to the River Medway bursting its banks
A tractor lies semi-submerged in the River Medway today
More than 1,000 homes in south-east and south-west England have been flooded so far and there are concerns 100,000 more could be affected. In the most vulnerable areas, families have been phoned, texted or emailed by authorities advising them on how to cope if they are inundated.
There are serious fears about exposure to filthy flood water, which can contain sewage and harmful chemicals.
Homeowners are also warned not to put themselves at risk by trying to drive away through floods or wade through the water.
Thousands of people were forced to spend Christmas without any power after storms battered the south of England.
Yesterday, engineers were struggling to reconnect 24,000 homes, many of which will now remain in darkness until the weekend.
A Boxing Day rescue by boat in the main street of the village of Yalding in Kent, as the floods continue with another storm on the way
The transport system has been crippled, with roads and train lines blocked by fallen trees and Gatwick airport thrown into chaos after flooding caused a power cut.
People stuck in the airport said conditions were 'third world' as more than 100 flights were cancelled or delayed.
They were abandoned by staff with no heating or hot water and just one toilet between them, they said. The airport's US owners now face an investigation, and are accused of failing to invest properly in flood defences.
In a weather warning, Gatwick Airport said it had 'additional teams of engineers, electrical staff and volunteers at the airport to minimise the risk of disruption from potential further flooding'.
A spokesman for the airport said it was currently operating on schedule, and said wind speeds of 45 knots is expected overnight and this morning.
'We are telling passengers to check with their airline in advance,' she said.
She described this week's weather as 'unprecedented', and said it was the combination of gales and heavy rain that caused the problems.
CANCELLATIONS, DELAYS AND DISRUPTION: TRANSPORT UPDATE FOR THOSE TRAVELLING BY ROAD, RAIL OR AIR
TRAINS
- Arriva Trains Wales: Speed restrictions leading to delays
- c2c: Services running as normal
- Chiltern: Service running as normal
- CrossCountry: Service north of Doncaster running at reduced speed adding up to an hour to journey times
- East Coast: Some services cancelled and others running at reduced speed - passengers are advised not to travel unless strictly necessary
- East Midlands Trains: Most services running as normal
- First Capital Connect: Most services running as normal
- First Great Western: Major delays owing to over-running engineering works
- First Hull: Services running as normal
- First TransPennine Express: Services running with delays due to speed restrictions - all tickets are valid throughout the day
- Gatwick Express: No services running today
- Grand Central: Services running as normal
- Greater Anglia and Stansted Express: Most services running as normal
- Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express: Services running as normal
- London Midland: Services running as normal
- London Overground: Services running as normal
- Merseyrail: Services running as normal
- Northern Rail: Services running at reduced speed until this afternoon
- Scotrail: Some trains replaced by buses due to high winds
- South West Trains: Some delays - passengers are advised to check before travelling
- Southeastern: No trains running until 12pm apart from High Speed services
- Southern: Many services cancelled, delayed or diverted - check before travelling
- Virgin Trains: Services running as normal
ROADS
- Drivers are advised to take extra caution and leave additional time for their journeys
- M2: Severe delays after part of the road was closed due to an early-morning crash
AIRPORTS
- Most flights are expected to depart as normal, but passengers should check before they travel. They should leave extra time to get to the airport due to delays on the road and rail networks
FERRIES
- Services to and from Dover face delays of up to 45 minutes
- Hovertravel services are not running until further notice
- Condor Ferries services face the risk of cancellation or delay - check before travelling
UK Power Networks said that the East of England is now virtually back to normal apart from a few isolated pockets of customers. Above, flooding near the River Wey in Guildford, Surrey
Network Rail advises that routes will need to be checked at first light and tracks will need to be cleared of any fallen trees and any damage will need repaired before train services can start.
Southeastern said it will not be running any train services 'until further notice', with metro and mainline services not expected to run until at least midday, while Network Rail added that services in Kent and Anglia will be delayed.
Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said: 'Passengers have had a tough week of travelling and unfortunately that is likely to continue for at least another day.
'Thousands of railway workers have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to try and repair the significant damage caused by Monday's storm and will be called on again over the next 24 hours.
'As ever, safety comes first, as we ensure routes are safe for passengers services leading to a delayed start-up in some regions.'
Rising surface: The River Wey in Guildford bust its banks over night leaving cars stranded and streets flooded
Operation: Essex Fire Service took boats to several call outs yesterday as they attended people stuck in their homes and cars
In Newton Abbot, Devon, a ten-year-old girl watched in horror as her stepfather died in the freezing River Lemon after he went in to rescue their pet dog.
Primary school teacher Nick Mutton, 46, slipped and was swept away at 11.15am on Christmas Eve as his family did their last-minute Christmas shopping. The Year Two teacher at Cockington Primary School in Torquay, lived with his partner Kathy and her two children.
Their pet Labrador managed to escape from the water.
In Cumbria, a man's body was pulled from the River Rothesay in Ambleside, while a woman died in a river in Gwynedd, North Wales.
The latest flood warnings issued by the Environmental Agency
A family in Tonbridge, Kent, wade through the water to safety after heavy flooding hit the area yesterday
In Hampshire, this tree fell on to a house in Southampton in the extreme Christmas weather
This was the scene in Guildford yesterday after heavy rainfall caused the Wey to flood
Three people died in separate crashes linked to the dangerous conditions on the roads. Many rural residents in the south of England were cut off by rising waters and downed trees which made country lanes impassable for cars.
Farmers said that hundreds of sheep have been washed into rushing rivers.
More rain is expected to cause damage to properties on the banks of the River Stour in Bournemouth and Dorset and the River Medway in Kent. Homes in Dorset, Bournemouth, Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are vulnerable to further flooding.
David Jordan, director of operations at the Environment Agency, said: 'More rain is forecast and in some areas rivers continue to respond to the heavy rain.
'We urge people to prepare for flooding and avoid driving or walking through flood water.'
Hundreds of swimmers braved the elements in fancy dress to take part in the annual Boxing Day dip on the beach in Saltburn, Cleveland to help raise money for a number of different charities
Undaunted by the freezing water, the swimmers embraced the annual tradition in Cleveland
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