Fresh flood warning for UK

Last autumn was one of the wettest on record

Parts of Britain have been put back on flood alert, as farmers say the weather has already cost them millions this winter.

The worst of the rain was expected to clear away on Friday but motorists in the South East were still warned to take care after rain caused widespread surface water flooding.

The heavy rain will gradually clear away

BBC Weather Centre

The severe weather has already cost farmers an estimated £500m in uninsured losses of crops and property, according to the National Farmers' Union.

There have been 4,000 claims from farmers and rural businesses to their biggest insurer, NFU Mutual, during the bad weather this winter.

NFU Mutual spokesman Tim Price told BBC News Online: "This has completely messed up farmers' plans for 2001 and added a lot of expense at a time when farm incomes are at their lowest in half a century."

A BBC Weather Centre spokeswoman said the worst of the rain was now clearing away eastwards.

"The heavy rain will gradually clear away during the course of the day.

"We are not expecting further heavy rain for the UK," she said.

Dangerous driving conditions

By Friday driving conditions were said to be "difficult and dangerous" by the Environment Agency.

In the east there was concern for the River Medway catchments, including the flood-hit village of Yalding in Kent, where the rain was still falling.

An agency spokesman said: "Ankle-high water can sweep a pedestrian off their feet.

"A car will float at knee height. Many roads are under water at levels which are potentially dangerous."

It will be like pouring water over a saturated sponge

Weather expert

The number of flood warnings in place across England and Wales has risen to 36, the Environment Agency said on Friday.

A spokesman said while the Midlands had seen the number of flood warnings fall overnight, the southern regions had seen a sharp rise from eight on Thursday to 17 on Friday.

Swollen rivers

The agency warned the rainfall could lead to river flooding and said Hampshire, West Sussex and Kent were "saturated" after 20mm of rain fell in earlier showers.

Driving conditions are also expected to deteriorate as temperatures drop to freezing across many areas.

No severe flood warnings have yet been issued

A deep Atlantic depression is being blamed for the prolonged rain.

A weather centre spokesman said earlier: "The concern is the record breaking wet autumn we had. It will be like pouring water over a saturated sponge. The water will not be absorbed and will run off, causing flooding."

Flood warnings are currently in place on parts of the following rivers:

East Anglia - the Ouse and the Great Ouse

Southern England - the Lymington, Wallington, Ems, Lavant, Teise and Beult and Gunard Luck, Monkton Mead and the Thames

South West - the Stour, Yeo, Wey, Bride and the Dorset Frome

Midlands - the Trent, Tame, Brook, Soar, Avon, and Severn