Hundreds of people were facing a night in temporary accommodation after a second day of heavy rain brought flooding and travel chaos to parts of Britain.
More than 300 properties had flooded across the country since Sunday, the environment agency said.
Elderly residents at a council care home in North Yorkshire had to be carried to safety by firefighters after it became swamped by 3ft of water. Roads and railways ground to a halt because of the rain and flooding, with the A1 and the East Coast Main Line among the routes hit by the conditions.
Some areas have seen more than a month’s rain fall in 24 hours as downpours and strong winds battered parts of Wales, northern England and Scotland. – (PA)