Homes evacuated as flooding persists

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Media captionA man is rescued from his near-submerged car in Mytholmroyd, Calderdale

Emergency teams are working to evacuate people from homes in York, as flooding continues to hit northern England.

Police advised between 300 and 400 people to evacuate near the River Ouse and River Foss in York, with up to 3,500 properties at risk.

Hundreds of flood alerts and warnings are in place for England, Wales and Scotland, including more than 30 severe warnings - indicating danger to life.

The environment minister said the government will review flood defences.

Liz Truss said there had been "unprecedented" levels of rainfall in parts of northern England, saying it was "right to say" flood defences had been "overwhelmed".

She warned some rivers had not yet reached their expected high peak, saying the Army had been deployed in York, Leeds, and parts of Lancashire.

PM David Cameron is due to chair an emergency conference call later and will visit some of the flood-affected areas on Monday.

Latest updates from northern England

In pictures: North of England flooding

Officials said pumps at the Foss Barrier - where the River Foss joins the River Ouse - had been overwhelmed and flood barriers had to be lifted, meaning areas in York that would usually be protected were now vulnerable to flooding.

York City Council said the River Ouse was expected to peak at more than 5m - close to to its highest recorded level of 5.40m.

The Environment Agency said the River Ouse's water level had reached 4.65m at 04:00 GMT on Sunday. Its typical level is between 0.5m and 1.9m.

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Media captionDrone footage of the collapsed Waterside pub in Summerseat

In other developments:

• The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued a number of warnings and alerts
• Homes have been evacuated after flooding brought "chaos" to roads in north Wales
• Red Cross volunteers are using 4x4s to transport doctors and nurses to Bangor Hospital due to flooding on the A55
• The River Aire in Leeds reached "record levels" at 23:00 GMT on Saturday, the Environment Agency said
• Electricity North West warned power may not be restored to some homes until Monday
• Residents of the Windsor House residential home, in York, were moved to other care homes after the basement flooded
• North Yorkshire Police said they had run out of "road closed" signs
• More than 50 people, mostly elderly residents, spent the night in a British Red Cross shelter in Bury
• Northern Rail is advising passengers not to travel in Cumbria, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire on Sunday journey

Resident Brian Marshall said flood waters in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, had been running with such force on Saturday night that sandbags had been "ripped up".

He said: "It was just impossible to do anything."

Meanwhile, Nigel Evans, the Conservative MP for Ribble Valley, called on the government to release funds immediately to help those affected.

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Media captionOnlookers watch as a caravan smashes into a bridge in Shipley, West Yorkshire

On Saturday, Lancashire bore the brunt of the flooding, along with parts of Yorkshire.

People in 3,500 York properties near the River Foss, a tributary of the Ouse, were advised to move belongings upstairs and to be ready to leave.

Areas of Greater Manchester, including Salford, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale and Wigan, were also badly affected by flooding, with more than 300 flood-related calls to the fire service in 24 hours.

Further rain

BBC Weather forecaster Alex Deakin said while there would be more rain in the north of England during Sunday, it would not be as intense or prolonged as the downpours on Saturday.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice in parts of Scotland, but no further weather warnings were in place on Sunday morning.

People can access information from council websites and the Environment Agency Floodline.

The agency is also operating a phone line - 0345 988 1188 - which will be staffed rather than offering recorded information.

Image captionBBC reporter Lauren Potts captured this scene in Kirkstall Road, Leeds

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionThe River Calder bursts its banks in Mytholmroyd bringing flooding to many properties

Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Note: the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency display their flood alert data differently. While the Environment Agency highlights individual rivers only, in Scotland the entire region is coloured to indicate the level of alert. This map and flood alert data are supplied to the BBC by third parties. The BBC is not responsible for its accuracy and you use it at your own risk.