Fresh floods misery as River Avon bursts its banks - and warnings remain in place across Britain
ITV News Correspondent Stacey Foster on the latest in South Yorkshire
Parts of the Midlands have been left in the grip of flooding, with homes and businesses inundated and dozens of drivers caught out by the rapidly rising water.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it had rescued 97 people and a dog from 43 different incidents where vehicles had become stuck in water, in the past 24 hours alone.
Six people and a pet dog were also rescued by boat during two separate rescues in Evesham, Worcestershire, on Friday morning, the brigade said, as the river Avon burst its banks.
The river has reached its highest level in the town since the damaging floods of 2007, and a number of homes and properties have been inundated, according to Environment Agency (EA) area manager Dave Throup.
The town’s community hospital has also closed to new admissions and outpatient clinics cancelled, although the NHS trust which runs the site stressed it was a “precaution”, adding patients and staff were safe.
ITV News Central presenter Balvinder Sidhu reports from Evesham
More than a hundred flood warnings remain in place across Britain after more heavy rain fell last night - with thieves adding the the woes of those in waterlogged areas after stealing pumps.
While the Met Office is forecasting the rains to finally ease off today, heavy downpours overnight have increased the number of flood warnings in effect to 115.
They are in force across the south of the country from Cornwall to Kent, from Chester in the north-west to areas just north of Norwich and regions to the east of York, and most parts in between.
ITV News Correspondent Stacey Foster has been in Doncaster, where many areas are still waterlogged.
Deluged communities in Doncaster are still feeling the effects of this month’s deluge, with the Environment Agency (EA) explaining how machines have been pumping 2.5 tonnes of water per second out of the village of Fishlake.
Army soldiers from the Light Dragoons have been working since Wednesday to lay down sandbags and firm up flood defences in the area, and in neighbouring Stainforth.
The villages are two of the worst-hit in the floods, with some residents being forced to leave their homes.
On Friday morning, Martin Christmas from the EA warned that people had been trying to steal some of the pumps being used to help flooded homes in South Yorkshire.
He said: “A plea to anyone out there in the area who sees anyone suspicious, please get in touch with police.
“We don’t want this to hamper our recovery effort in the Doncaster area.”
The EA says it is working with emergency responders and local authorities to protect people and properties in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
The Met Office’s Friday morning forecast for the UK is for “rain at times, but not as heavy as recent days”.
It has forecast “further rain at times” for Saturday in England and southern Scotland.
Almost 50mm of rain fell near Tal-y-Maes, Wales, in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, and the 49.6mm recorded in Brecknockshire was almost matched by Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, which saw 48.8mm over the same period.
The rain arrived alongside cold temperatures in some parts, as parts of the south-west of England did not manage to climb above two degrees on Thursday, but floodwater remains the primary concern.
Machines were pumping 2.5 tonnes of water per second out of the Yorkshire village of Fishlake, according to the EA, as British Army soldiers helped reinforce flood defences.
Meanwhile, emergency services across England warned people to be careful and not drive through deep floodwater as rivers continued to swell.
Another Government Cobra meeting was held on Thursday evening to co-ordinate the ongoing relief.
The leaders of councils in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Kirklees have written to communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, warning of “considerable and lasting damage” and urging more funding to help them cope with future flooding, the Guardian reported.