Parts of England and Wales were lashed by severe weather in July, with flooding affecting thousands of homes and leaving many without water. Heavy rain on 20 July led to flash floods and saw river levels rise, affecting swathes of central and western England. Here is a round-up of the situation in the worst-affected areas.

Severe flood warnings were issued for the River Great Ouse from Turvey to Sharnbrook, Sharnbrook to Bedford, and from Bedford to Offord in Cambridgeshire.

Police also closed five bridges along the river. And in Bedford a man died in hospital, three days after being pulled from the river.

But the Environment Agency said peak levels had been lower than in previous flooding incidents and most properties escaped damage.

YOUR PICTURES 20 July

Hundreds of properties and roads around Purley-on-Thames, Pangbourne, Charvil, Winnersh and Maidenhead were flooded on 20 July.

It had been feared that some homes in Reading and other towns further down the Thames could be next in line after the river rose by about 1ft (30cm) and burst its banks.

However, the predicted river surge never materialised, and three severe flood warnings were downgraded on 27 July.

About 70 homes and businesses in Buckingham were flooded when the river burst its banks on 20 July, with 30 people spending the night in the town's Radcliffe centre.

Flood warnings on various stretches of the Thames including at Marlow and Bourne End and on the River Ray from near Shipton Lee to Islip in Oxfordshire, including Ludgershall, Blackthorn, Murcott, Wendlebury and Odington were lifted by 27 July.

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Three people died after the River Severn burst its banks and led to flooding in locations including Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

At one point more than 350,000 people in the county found themselves without running water, after treatment works were submerged. About 140,000 people were without a supply for more than a week

Bottled water and water tanks were brought in to bolster supplies, with shops reporting strong sales of basic supplies, and queues forming outside supermarkets.

By 30 July, the first of 60,000 homes started to get running water back in the worst-hit Gloucester area but Severn Trent warned customers the supply would initially not be fit for drinking.

On 28 July, rescue teams searching for a teenager who went missing in Tewkesbury during the heavy flooding recovered a body.

The find came a day after the discovery of two bodies, of Bramwell Lane, 64, and his son Chris, who died in Tewkesbury trying to pump water from a flooded rugby club.

Thousands of motorists were stranded overnight on the M5 in the county on the night of 21 July.

Two dead after flooding accident

Pensioners struggle without water

Gloucester from the air

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Parts of Hereford and Worcestershire found themselves under 6ft (1.82m) of water, with Evesham and Upton-upon-Severn both heavily affected.

On 21 July, thousands of motorists found themselves stuck overnight on the M5.

The following day, the authorities asked for military help after a night described by the fire Service as its "worst in living memory".

The RAF began to airlift people from cars, boats and their homes in one of its biggest peacetime rescue operations.

More than 1,000 people spent the next few nights in emergency rest centres.

In Evesham, about 20 special needs children trapped at a special needs school and guests and staff were confined to the upper floors of the Northwick Hotel.

And in Upton-upon-Severn, the Army brought food and water into the town, which was virtually cut off.

Family rescued in Upton-upon-Severn

YOUR PICTURES 20 July

Parts of south London were hard-hit on 20 July.

Most of the London Underground suffered severe delays, many roads were forced to close and the overground rail network struggled to cope with the evening rush hour.

Heavy rain and flash floods also led to 141 flights in and out of Heathrow Airport being cancelled that day.

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About 900 homes were flooded in the county.

About 150 homes in Oxford - mainly in the Osney and Botley areas - were flooded on 25 July after Thames tributaries burst their banks, spilling onto the river's already water-logged flood plain.

About 125 residents were housed at a refuge centre set up at the Kassam stadium.

The Environment Agency said many homes in the north of Oxford were saved by the Kidlington flood defence scheme.

In Abingdon, where a severe flood warning was issued for the River Ock, 570 properties were flooded.

Oxford aerial images

Residents evacuate

The county avoided the worst of the flooding which hit neighbouring areas, although much of Shropshire was on put on flood watch.

Large parts of Ludlow were flooded and dozens of roads were left under water after heavy rain on 20 July.

The UK National Ballooning Championships due to take place in the town was cancelled for the first time in 32 years, because of the flooding.

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Several places in Warwickshire were affected by flooding.

Much of Stratford town centre was left under water after the bad weather on 20 July.

Performances at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre on Saturday were cancelled following flooding on the Waterside street.

The River Leam burst its banks in Leamington and people were urged not to go to the town centre.

River levels began to fall by 23 July, although the Avon and Leam remained on flood watch for several days.