Storm Henk – the latest in a string of destructive weather fronts – has already claimed two lives after arriving to batter the UK three days ago.
With more heavy rain expected, the Met Office warned whole communities “may be cut off by flooded roads” – as these images reveal.
They show how people were rescued by jeeps and lifeboat crews after the River Severn in Gloucester burst its banks, causing chaos.
An 87-year-old was killed after her car hit a fallen tree by Crays Pond, Oxon, at 5.25pm on Tuesday.
The death led Thames Valley Police to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as the tree was reported about 90 minutes before the fatal collision.
Two hours earlier, a man in his 50s from Bath died when a tree fell on his car near Kemble, Glos.
Yet more people were in danger in the Midlands, as Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major flooding incident – urging residents in areas by the River Trent to prepare for possible evacuations.
As tributaries from the rivers Derwent, Soar and Dove reached their peaks, high water levels were due to pass down the Trent.
Councillor Neil Clarke said: “We have already evacuated some communities, some low-lying areas, but the levels are still rising.”
The council announced: “Forecasts show river levels along the River Trent may come close to the highest levels on record from 2000.”
Residents were also evacuated from houseboats and caravans by the River Nene, Northants.
Kew Gardens said six trees were destroyed in the storm and would be “mulched and added back” to the park in South West London. Meanwhile, London Fire Brigade said parts of the city “may experience flash floods”, and heavy rain caused most of Thames Water’s storm overflows to discharge sewage into rivers and groundwater. A party boat acting as a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub sunk on the Thames.
A spokesperson for the Bar & Co boat – moored at Temple Pier – said: “Likely it sunk because of weather conditions.”
By last night, the Environment Agency had issued 220 flood warnings and 282 alerts – 502 in total.
Pub landlord Mario Thomas, 65, called the storm “an evil one” after his business was left underwater.
It is the third – and the worst – flood he has seen in less than a year at The Boat Inn in Jackfield, Shropshire, by the River Severn. He said: “It doesn’t matter what flood defences we put up, we might minimise it, but we’ll never stop it.
“It made me cry to see the devastation it’s caused, it is unbelievable.”
The Met Office’s Matthew Lehnert said: “There is chance of 20 to 30mm of rain falling in a six to nine-hour period…with a few places seeing 40 to 50mm. Much of this rain is falling on already wet ground and therefore, impacts are more likely.”
BBC Weather presenter Ben Rich said the worst of the rain was in the south of England.
He said 10mm of rain had fallen within an hour in Bournemouth and was expected to move eastwards.
But worse is yet to come, as this excess water may soon to turn to hazardous ice – with the UK Health Security Agency issuing a cold weather alert from this Saturday.
Overnight frosts will return as the mercury slips to -5C in the North and -2C in the South by Sunday.
Yesterday weary rail passengers were told to travel home early, two days after the storm first hit, as speed restrictions were introduced.
Great Western Railway urged customers to avoid travelling or to take a return train “as soon as possible”.
