Following severe weather, a critical incident has been declared

Affairs said 3,300 properties in England are thought to have been flooded as a result of storms Ciara and Dennis.

Now, Jorge is adding to record river levels as safety teams fight to install more flood defences. The Environment Agency said 127,000 properties had been defended this winter and 15 rivers in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire have hit their highest levels on record.

A total of 83 flood warnings were in place yesterday across England and Wales, mostly in the South West, along the English

Welsh border, and in Yorkshire. And there were 211 “flooding is possible” alerts.

Towns including Ironbridge and Bewdley along the River Severn in the West Midlands, and West Cowick and Lidgate in East Yorkshire, along the River Aire, are among the worst-hit areas in England.

The Environment Agency said 1,000 staff per day have worked on flood defences and pumps, erecting 3.7 miles of barriers.

Several flooded roads were closed in Wiltshire yesterday, while people were rescued from cars stranded in water in Devon and

Somerset, and the Ouse Bridge in Humberside was closed to high-sided vehicles.

Police in flood-hit South Wales declared a temporary critical incident yesterday morning.

They said: “Following flooding and severe weather-related incidents, a critical incident has been declared.

“The emergency services, with local authority planning departments, health boards and organisations such as Natural Resources Wales and utility companies, are working to ensure the safety and welfare of those affected, minimise damage to infrastructure and property, and minimise disruption.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received 72 calls between 6pm on Friday

and 6am on Saturday.

People Pontypridd, which was also flooded two weeks ago, and the Ely area of Cardiff were advised to remain indoors amid warnings of surging water levels and strong winds.

Cardiff Council said emergency teams worked through the night on flood defences and clearing debris to limit damage from rains, while its roads team answered 100 incidents.

There were six yellow weather warnings for rain, wind and snow in force across the country yesterday morning. The rain warning was lifted before midday as showers eased but alerts stayed in place

in for gales and the potential for power cuts, transport delays and large waves for coastal communities. The wind warnings last until tonight across much of England and Wales and until this afternoon across southern Scotland and northern England.

Persistent snowfall was forecast over higher parts of Scotland, with up to 30cm expected in some places, and warnings are in place until noon tomorrow.

And the wind-chill factor will make temperatures feel close to freezing, the Met Office said. Ireland also took a pounding, with some 15,000 properties without electricity after a power cut. A status red warning for wind was in place across the counties of Galway and Clare.

Forecasters warned the Republic faced winds up to 90mph with an “elevated risk of coastal flooding”.

The Environment Agency has warned that we need to prepare for “more frequent periods of extreme weather like this” due to the impact of climate change.