Atlantic storm heading to Britain

Clear-up operations are still under way in Cornwall

Heavy rain could bring fresh flooding to Devon and Cornwall as an Atlantic storm approaches Britain this weekend, the Met Office has warned.

On Sunday, the low pressure system should reach its peak, bringing some heavy rain across the South West before spreading across the country.

Meanwhile, clean-up operations continue in the Cornish village of Boscastle.

But North Cornwall District Council said Monday's flood was a "freak event" which was unlikely to repeat itself.

Sewage nightmare

On Friday, a lakeside campsite in the Lake District had to be evacuated after the Environment Agency issued a specific flood warning.

Holidaymakers at the camp in Keswick, Cumbria, were promptly taken to a nearby school where a makeshift reception centre has been set up.

In a separate incident in the Allerton area of Merseyside, a truck driver who had got stuck in a flooded area underneath a railway bridge was rescued by a fire-fighter.

Both men had to wade in raw sewage and were later taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up.

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Another Cornish village, Canworthy Water, built at the meeting of three rivers, was damaged by flooding when the largest river burst its banks.

In Lancashire, fire-fighters had to pump water out of homes in Galgate, flooded by the River Condor, while more flooding wreaked havoc in several towns and villages. And in Yorkshire, the Environment Agency has issued a number of flood warnings.

Around 40mm (1.5 inches) of rain, with peaks of 70mm (2.75 inches) are expected for many parts of the country in coming days, while gusts of wind of up to 50mph are expected to batter the South West, Wales and Northern Ireland.

More heavy rain warnings have been issued for the Midlands, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wales, the North West and northern parts of the country.

On Saturday, the rain should be moving northwards with the South West and parts of England and Wales enjoying dry, sunny spells.

Rainfall, possibly thunderstorms, are expected to hit north-east England and eastern Scotland.

'Freak occurrence'

The situation will reverse on Sunday, with heavy showers expected to hit the South West.

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"There is a chance of flooding in some parts as another low pressure system is coming through with some heavy rain in it on Sunday," a Met Office spokesman said.

He added that the rains would reach the South West first at around 1200 BST on Sunday before affecting the rest of the UK on Monday.

But the North Cornwall District Council believes a reoccurrence of the freak flooding which hit the Cornish village of Boscastle last Monday is very unlikely.

"Floods on Monday were unusual because there was hardly any wind - there was a lot of rain in a very short period of time that didn't move," said spokesman Paul Masters.

"As far as I understand it now, the rain is coming in it bands because gales are associated with it, so we are hopeful they won't actually be anything like the problem that we had on Monday in Boscastle, which was a freak occurrence."

Work to restore power and water supplies to the Cornish village is still under way.

"We couldn't possibly be doing any more than we are doing at the moment," he added.

The weather is expected to remain unsettled next week and should turn drier towards the weekend.