UK’s prime minister to visit flooded areas as rains subside

“A further 1,000 military personnel are being held in reserve should the situation worsen”. I know [the emergency services] are overstretched. “Clearly, in the light of that, we will be reviewing our flood defenses”. “So it is a rising budget – £2.3 billion on capital schemes that will make a real difference up and down the country”, he told Sky News.

People in some towns were told to abandon their homes for higher ground while others were told to move their valuables and listen to advice from emergency services about possible evacuation.

The flooding in Greater Manchester has turned into a recovery phase as water levels have begun to drop, according to Greater Manchester Police, whilst North Yorkshire Police have said they have run out of “road closed signs”.

“After any one of these events, it’s right to sit down, look at what you’ve spent, what you’ve built, what you’re planning to spend, what you’re planning to build and work out is it in the right places, are we doing it in the right way, do we need to do more?” “These are the highest levels that have been experienced in the centre of the city”.

Officials said 85 percent of Britain’s flood defense barriers have already been deployed to the Cumbria area.

The EA’s flood warning site allows users to input their postcode to see the level of risk for their area.

He was shown images of a caravan park by the river Nidd, a tributary of the Ouse in Knaresborough, where residents were evacuated before the site was inundated.

On Sunday officials made the decision to lift the York’s flood barrier after water entered the Foss barrier building, causing flooding to around 500 properties.

If the barrier became stuck in the “down” position, it would not have been able to discharge water into the River Ouse.

After spending around an hour at the nerve centre Mr Cameron was taken by vehicle to see the devastated city centre.

“We should certainly be helping the overseas aid because they are going to affect our climate just as much as we affect our own”.

“We are surrounded by water”.

The Met Office has issued yellow (be aware) warnings for rain on Wednesday in areas of northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bringing the threat of further flooding.

The Government has vowed to look again at the quality of the UK’s flood defences as homes and business owners face up to a miserable start to the new year.

Emergency financial assistance will also be put in place for affected areas, and homes and businesses damaged by flooding caused by Eva will have access to the same package of support announced for those affected by Storm Desmond.

He said: “We have been trapped since last night”. We are looking at that at the moment.

Environment Secretary Liz Truss acknowledged that flood defences in York, Leeds and Lancashire had been “overwhelmed”, and said they will now be reviewed.

The Prime Minister has promised to “help people in their hour of need” and some 500 soldiers have been drafted in to help.

Mr Cameron thanked the emergency services and said those who had been flooded deserve “huge amounts of sympathy and understanding”.

She called for “significant investment” in additional flood defences for the city to prevent future flooding.

He said: “That’s not the case”. They have affected swathes of Yorkshire and Lancashire while there have also been alerts in parts of Wales and the Midlands.

“We should do at home what we insist happens right around the world”.