More rain swept across floodstricken Britain yesterday as fears grew that already inundated areas could be swamped again.
Rain coming in from the Atlantic reached far western areas during the morning and was expected to cross the whole of England and Wales in the course of the day and night.
There was likely to be rainfall of 3540 mm in 24 hours in most areas, and in York it was possible rain from early evening last night could go on until Tuesday.
Dr Neil Talboys, a senior meteorologist with the PA Weather Centre, said: "Even after it stops raining there will be the delayed effect of water coming down from the hills. It is bad news for the flooded areas."
It meant new fears for the most at-risk areas, around the River Ouse in North Yorkshire, including York, and the Severn in Gloucestershire, which escaped further flooding on Saturday night as water levels peaked without breaching defences.
In Gloucestershire, fire-fighters in special protection suits checked flooded barrels at a chemical plant which caught fire last week, causing a village to be evacuated.
The Cleansing Services Group plant at Sandhurst, near Gloucester, has been affected by the flooded Severn and a team went into the site to make sure it was safe.
Last Monday six people, including five police officers, were taken to hospital after an explosion and blaze. An investigation was launched after a number of local people complained of illness.
Deputy Prime Minister Mr John Prescott visited Yorkshire, promising residents that a new national recovery team would speed up their flood damage claims.
In York, he expanded further on Saturday's announcement of an extra £51 million to spend on flood defence systems.
He said the country now had to accept that climate change would mean extreme weather happened more frequently and he wanted to ensure the infrastructure was there to cope with it.
"People tend to think this is going to come every 20 or 30 years. Climate change is making a fundamental difference. Since 1987, there have been three major floodings and they are becoming more frequent.
"What I was trying to say in my wake-up call is perhaps we shouldn't put things off and say they only come once in a while and that they are going to be more frequent."
Mr Prescott added: "We should plan our emergency services in a much more robust way.
"It's not only about flooding. Why should 1,000 trees fall on our railways and stop them running? Why is it that the power lines should fail?"
He went on to visit Selby and surrounding villages where the flooding in Yorkshire is at its worst.
He said: "I would like to see a recovery team which is there as the people go through a process of change, finding accommodation, finding the heaters to heat the house, getting the insurance companies to help to quicken up the process to relieve the damage they face and the misery."
The Environment Agency said later it was expecting more flooding last night as a band of heavy rain moved across England.
Earlier yesterday, 34 mm of rain fell in Cornwall and some localised flooding occurred, it said.
Meanwhile, it emerged that people whose homes have suffered costly flood damage could face another blow as the value of their properties looked set to fall.
Some experts have predicted the value of houses in certain high-risk areas could fall by as much as 25 per cent.
Information relating to how vulnerable a property is to flooding is set to become much more accessible from next month when the Environment Agency launches a website devoted to flood risks.
By simply tapping in a postcode, prospective buyers will discover whether their dream home is on a flood plain or near a high-risk river or coastal area.