Flood chaos and heavy rain continued to cause havoc across Britain yesterday as residents prepared to evacuate the centre of Burton-on-Trent.
The Environment Agency said it had 39 severe flood warnings of "imminent danger" to life and property in effect on 29 rivers.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, visited people in afflicted areas of Kent but warned climate change will make floods a "regular feature".
The raging waters were also beginning to threaten historic Hampton Court Palace in southwest London, where the River Thames was "very high".
The worst hit areas were Kent, Sussex, the North East, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Police warned that hundreds of homes in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, needed to be evacuated because of the risk of "severe flooding".
They also warned motorists not to attempt to drive into Stafford town centre after severe flooding overnight made many roads impassable. Mr Prescott cut short a trip to Brussels for EU talks on global warming to visit flood-damaged areas in the south-east.
In Yalding, Kent, the floods returned for the third time this autumn, and just weeks after surging river levels led to 30 villagers being evacuated from their homes. Flood waters were also back in Uckfield, East Sussex, another village recently affected.
The Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning in Surrey after the River Wey burst its banks, flooding more than 20 homes, and dozens of roads in Guildford were flooded. The River Thames between Shepperton and Teddington was also subject to a severe flood warning last night.
More than 2,000 people were being evacuated from their homes last night as rising flood waters continued to wreak havoc in Yorkshire. Residents were leaving properties in Barlby and Selby and being taken to makeshift rescue centres to avoid the danger. Villages in the surrounding areas were put on alert.
Dozens of homes in the two towns have already been flooded, amid accusations from locals that they have been sacrificed to save badly-hit York - a charge denied by the emergency services.
In the north-east, the Environment Agency said seven severe flood warnings were in place on five rivers, including the Pont in Northumberland, and the Wear in Co Durham.
In Ponteland, where Northumbria Police has its headquarters, around 100 homes were reported flooded after water from the River Pont deluged the village centre.
Fire crews were also out in Blyth, Morpeth and Rothbury dealing with water from overflowing rivers. It was a similar picture in Co Durham, and east Cleveland where 400 residents of Skinningrove were under threat from torrential flood waters.
Heavy rain was also causing flood chaos across the east coast of Scotland.