Army turns out to aid rescue effort as severe floods swamp Britain

He said the water was waist high at points along the road and had flooded local businesses including a auto dealership and a convenience store.

She said data from a rain gauge in Honister, Cumbria, suggested a record amount of rain had fallen in the area between Friday and Saturday.

The previous red and amber weather warnings for the north have been lifted but the Met Office has issued a new yellow rain warning – be aware – for northwest England and southwest Scotland on Monday.

The bad weather has abated in Hawick, in the Borders, after around 100 properties were evacuated but emergency services remain on standby.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said the government committee had been called to “urgently assess the scale of the floods and ensure the response remains coordinated, effective and gets help to those affected as quickly as possible”. “That’s an extra £2.3 billion of capital investment to help our most at-risk communities”.

England’s Environment Agency declared more than 130 flood warnings, nearly all in the north, with more than 40 of them deemed severe, meaning there was a danger to life.

The River Eden burst its banks in Appleby in the county, with pictures showing deep water flowing through the town.

“It’s a much quieter day today…It will be brighter, dry and will be feeling a little bit fresher”, he said.

The Scottish Borders have also been severely affected, with mountain rescue teams there helping evacuate residents from areas at risk.

Carlisle’s players played at Welling in the FA Cup on Saturday, winning 5-0, meaning they were out of the area which was badly affected by flooding.

Adrian Holme, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, told the BBC the flood was “unprecedented” and “exceptionally challenging”.

The AA has 50 patrols in action across the county and has brought in special 4×4 resources to help with more than 70 breakdowns.

Cumbria Constabulary said: “Many of Cumbria’s roads are blocked or impassable due to flooding and widespread surface water”.

“We’ve also had a long ongoing operation in Lisnaskea, where we’ve deployed our high volume pumping units to pump water and to prevent further flooding”.

There were reports of a bus blown off the road between Falkland and Dunshalt in Fife, while Trossachs Search and Rescue team said it coordinated the rescue of a bus and its 38 passengers which became stuck in flooding on the A81.

Trains are now not running between England and Scotland while many roads are closed, causing severe travel difficulties for many.