Thousands barricade homes with sandbags as Britain prepares for a week of rain

Thousands of families who have barricaded their homes with sandbags have been told the next 48 hours are critical as river levels rise after the latest deluge.

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Tonight the agency reported 68 flood warnings across the country, with a further 187 areas on flood watch.

Communities in the West and along the banks of the Severn, who are still recovering from the summer's chaos, were particularly anxious.

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Gale-force winds of 87mph closed the port of Dover this afternoon.

A fireman was taken to hospital with minor injuries this morning after part of a roof was blown off by strong winds at a block of flats on Ramsgate seafront.

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And in Lodsworth, West Sussex, one woman and her three children had to be rescued by firefighters using a Land Rover after their car became stuck in floodwater.

The disruption caused major delays on the roads and rail networks.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "It is a mixed picture. Areas are already very saturated and rivers are responding very rapidly.

"But the good news is that gales are pushing the rainfall through very quickly.

"We should make it clear that it is currently nowhere near the scale of last summer, when there were more than 100 flood warnings."

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Forecaster Michael Dukes said the weather would brighten up briefly tomorrow before another sweep of rain from the Atlantic crosses the UK on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The wettest place overnight was Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which saw 32mm (1.3in). The Met Office said the heaviest band of wet weather was moving rapidly eastwards.

In Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, there was no sign that waters were receding on the River Avon, which burst its banks on Friday.

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John Bishop, the landlord of the Fleet Inn, in Twyning, on the banks of the Avon, had cleared the pub's pets corner of its guinea pigs and canaries, in anticipation of water spilling over the garden walls.

Mr Bishop, 52, said: "It is frightening that it has taken so little rain to put us in a perilous position once again. I'm on my way out to get more sandbags from the council - I think we'll need about 40 to try and keep the water out.

"Although we've had a £2,500 grant from the Flood Relief Fund, I am still trying to get money from my insurer. Thankfully, at this time of year I won't lose much trade."

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Kelly Bartlett, of the Longlevens Flood Committee in Gloucester, one of the city's worst-affected wards, said: "People have moved their belongings upstairs. Many haven't moved them down since Friday when this spell of bad weather began."

Gloucestershire Police have set up 'silver command' to liaise with councils across the county.

West Mercia Police warned motorists in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire that localised flooding was likely to cause problems.

Heavy rains have forced the postponement of tonight's FA Cup ties between Sheffield Wednesday and Derby, and Barnet and Swindon, while racing was called off a Folkestone. Thursday's meeting at Taunton is already postponed and there is an inspection scheduled later today for Newbury.