Thousands without water in town

A person is winched to safety in Evesham: pic by Karen Smith

Up to 4,000 residents have been left without water after a treatment works near Worcester was hit by the flooding.

Welsh Water is installing tankers of water and bottled water in and around Bromyard, Herefordshire after the Whitbourne works was affected.

The Army and fire crews have been delivering food to towns across Worcestershire left virtually cut off.

River levels in Upton-on-Severn and Worcester are not expected to peak until later in the evening.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn warned Worcester and Upton residents that the emergency was "not yet over".

During a visit to Worcester Mr Benn said residents should brace themselves for more flooding as further rain is predicted to hit the region tonight.

He said: "There will be further flooding downstream. It is really important that people listen out for warnings."

At least 150 people in Evesham and about 90 rural Worcestershire residents are without power.

Fire crews take away guests from Evesham's Northwick Hotel

Water levels are falling in Evesham, the scene of some dramatic rescues on Saturday, but people are still cut off.

Alec Mackie, from Hereford and Worcester Fire Service, said: "We are keeping an eye on Upton-on-Severn, which is an island at the moment, and watching the flooding at Worcester."

In Upton-on-Severn, a motorcycle dealer said his shop was 5ft (1.5m) underwater.

He said: "We went under water yesterday afternoon.

"I managed to get all my motorcycles out of the shop but my stock and stuff stayed in underneath.

"it's very, very deep, it's probably about three foot deeper than it was in the 2000 floods.

People rescued from flooded houses in Worcester: Pic by Dave Hodgson

"Its a devastating scene all around, really, and [there are] a lot of worried people in the middle of the town [with] no supplies."

Boats were used to rescue people from their homes in Ripple and Uckinghall, between Upton and Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

New Road Bridge in Worcester, the main route across the River Severn which has burst its banks, is closed for safety reasons.

West Mercia Police said flooding was also causing a huge problem in the village of Kempsey, virtually cut off after the A38 closed to flooding.

Meanwhile, the railway line between Birmingham and Worcester has reopened and Central Trains says its service between Hereford and Shrewsbury is resuming on Sunday evening.

Rail services disrupted

First Great Western services from Oxford to Worcester and Hereford are still suspended. Train services look set to continue to be disrupted by the damage in the coming days.

Severe flood warnings are in force on the River Avon in Evesham and on the Severn at Worcester, Upton-on-Severn and Kempsey.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which was called into Worcestershire on Saturday to help with rescue attempts, has now left to help with the situation in nearby Gloucestershire.

Andy Clift, the RNLI rapid response unit team leader, said: "The team's rescue efforts in Worcestershire saw them rescue around 55 people plus various pets, from budgies to dogs.

"I've never known anything like this."