Gem O'Reilly
Live reporter

We've been hearing from people all over the country about the impact the flooding has had on their homes, with many saying their contents has been destroyed.

But what are the advised steps to take if this has happened to you? We've put some together for you:

1. Call your insurance provider as soon as possible. They should be able to advise on any necessary emergency accommodation.

2. An initial assessment of the damage is super important and a 'loss adjuster' will be appointed to evaluate your claim from your insurer.

3. Then cleaning and stripping out will be organised by your loss adjuster. This work should start within four weeks of being in contact with them.

4. You will then need to ensure you disinfect and dry your home. A drying company should be appointed by your insurer. This can take from a few weeks to several months.

5. Then the repair and reconstruction should begin after you get a drying certificate from your drying company. Your loss adjuster will appoint a builder to do the repair and reconstruction work.

6. The one you'll be most glad to hear, moving back into your home. Your insurer or loss adjuster will discuss with you when you can return home, for some this can be weeks, for others it can take months.

The Association of British Insurers is sending out advice today to hundreds of insurance providers, you can read more here., external

Aerial footage taken over the East Midlands shows a snapshot of the devastation caused by heavy rainfall that has hit the UK.

More than 300 flood warnings are currently in force across the country, with the majority in the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England.

Hundreds of homes have been flooded, and in some places residents have been forced to evacuate.

As Nottinghamshire battles flooding around the county, this map shows the extent of flooding along the River Trent near Nottingham and Newark-on-Trent.

The government website currently lists 15 flood warnings in place around Nottinghamshire, with all but three of them relating to the River Trent.

Labour says the government was "asleep at the wheel" over flood warnings, and it needs to act now to stop further damage to people's homes.

A joint statement by the shadow cabinet office minister and shadow environment secretary says: "This is not about extra money, this is about ensuring that the budget already committed to flood defences is used to maximum effect."

The statement ends with Labour saying it would form a Cobra-style task force to co-ordinate flood preparation.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats want PM Rishi Sunak to visit flood-hit areas, saying if he "actually met with people impacted by this annual carnage, then he might do something about it".

A recent report from the National Audit Office, external found that a reduction in flood defence projects would leave 136,000 more homes at risk of flooding since Environment Agency (EA) protection plans were drawn up in 2020, The EA blamed the cuts in protection on inflation.

BBC Weather

Image source, PA Media

The new month may be just five days old, but some places have already had more rain than their January average.

More rain is expected today in the form of showers – however, these won’t make the current flooding any worse with small overall accumulations of rain.

High pressure takes over next week so it will become mainly dry, allowing time for flood waters to clear.

A social media appeal about stranded animals resulted in horses being rescued near Barrow-Upon-Soar.

The footage showing horses on dry land next to train track is where they are stuck surrounded by flood water. Owners have been feeding them via boats.

Heavy rainfall has made conditions worse in areas already impacted by Storm Henk. Here's a look at some saturated areas in England.

Image source, Getty Images

Gem O'Reilly
Live reporter

Remember Storm Henk? Well that's where all of this started and we've been following the aftermath all week.

Here's the latest and also what to expect in the coming days:

• Nottinghamshire declared a major incident due to rising water levels along the River Trent and more than 100 properties were flooded
• Travel has been severely affected with Great Western Railway warning, external of disruption all day
• The Association of British Insurers says it is reassuring homeowners and businesses that damage caused by floods is covered by most standard home insurance and that if you've been affected you should contact your insurer as soon as possible
• Disruption is expected to continue over the coming days with about 300 flood warnings remaining in place
• The Environment Agency says more than 1,000 homes have been flooded in England this week and ongoing impact is expected for five days
• Caroline Douglass, the Environment Agency's flood director, said the River Trent was at "some of the highest levels we've seen in 24 years"

Stay with us for more coverage throughout the day.

Faith Page
Reporter, BBC Shropshire

A couple from Highley in Shropshire have had to cope with a metre (3ft) of water in their home and say they are "heartily fed up with it now".

Jacquie Desai-Gale and Terry Gale have only lived there for a year and say they have had no help.

This is the third time they have experienced flooding in their new home and Desai-Gale tells me: "We don't know what to do, it's just getting worse."

Desai-Gale adds: "The water is absolutely crashing down the River Severn, it's dangerous and it's very frightening."

Shropshire Council says it will contact the couple to offer support and arrange a visit with the Environment Agency once the flood-waters recede to discuss how the they can support them in adding defences for the property.

A narrowboat in Leicestershire has been overturned and swept along by flooding in the River Soar.

The boat, in Barrow upon Soar, is lying next to a road bridge over the swollen river. The name 'Sea Jade' can be seen on its side.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Local resident Sam Harper Ard, 27, said: "I live in the village and take my kayak out regularly on that stretch of the River Soar and I've never seen it so high."

He added that "narrowboats are a real part of the community here" so seeing a canal boat affected by the flooding was "really sad".

"I hope the owners and everyone involved is safe."

Image source, Getty Images

People in Nottinghamshire are still waiting for the waters to subside and many have had their homes damaged as a result of the flooding.

Phil, a resident in the village of Bleasby in Nottinghamshire, tells BBC Radio 4 that he lost his caravan as a result of the heavy rainfall.

"You've got no chance, I thought with the wellies I'd get all the way down there but no. The strength of the current was just washing over my wellingtons and I'd only got a quarter of the way down the lane to the caravan," he says.

"I had to turn back and examine the carnage afterwards."

BBC aerial shots show wide scale flooding across Nottinghamshire, with houses submerged and roads closed off.

Jenny Kumah
South West England correspondent

Image source, Ricahrd Garvie

Rail services into the South West continue to face disruption due to flooding - but it is still possible to travel into the region.

Great Western Railway (GWR) say services between London into Plymouth and Penzance are reduced from two an hour to one an hour.

Services between Reading and Taunton are cancelled, but it’s possible to get to those destinations by using trains via Bristol - this will add around 40 minutes to your journey.

The GWR website says services between Swindon and Bristol Parkway and the route between Didcot Parkway and Swindon are cancelled.

South Western Railway (SWR) says a landslip at Crewkerne mean trains are unable to run between Exeter St David’s and Yeovil Junction.

The Liskeard to Looe branch line in Cornwall which was closed because of flooding yesterday has reopened this morning.

Image source, JAMES MANNING

In central London, a floating bar and restaurant which was moored at Temple Pier on the River Thames sank overnight.

An RNLI lifeboat, a Metropolitan Police boat and London Fire Brigade vessel attended the scene in the early hours of this morning.

A spokesman for the boat owners, Bar & Co boat, said it was "likely it sunk because of weather conditions".

The Port of London Authority has advised vessels to pass Temple Pier with "great caution".

Jules Tipler has been stuck on her narrowboat at Sawley Marina, on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border, since Wednesday morning.

After seeing the rain on Tuesday, she took quick action by going shopping and booking her dog into a kennel.

She tells BBC Radio Nottingham: "We’ve been advised by the marina to stay on board, because if you walk off and you slip or you fall, you’re going to go straight into the canal."

Image source, Jules Tipler

She counts herself as one of the "lucky ones", as she has heating and electricity, while others at the marina do not.

Today is Tipler's nine-year anniversary on the boat, and she says the flooding is "the worst I’ve ever seen it at the marina".

She adds that volunteer flood wardens have been on 24/7 standby, checking that everyone is safe.

Neil Clarke, the leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, says around 100 homes have been evacuated in his area and described the recent levels of rainfall as "absolutely horrendous".

He tells BBC News that the ground has become "so saturated there's nowhere for the water to be soaked up".

Clarke also criticises drivers who ignore road closure signs and attempt to drive their cars through flood water.

"Don’t forget that somebody’s got to go and rescue them and that puts the rescue services unnecessarily at risk when they have to risk their own safety to get somebody else out of trouble when they’ve driven into that flood water when really they shouldn’t."

He says flooded roads could have dislodged man hole covers or obstructions under the water "that you cannot see and so it’s incredibly dangerous".

Let's give you an overview of the flood warnings currently covering parts of England and Wales.

In England, the Environment Agency (EA) has 299 red flood warnings in place, meaning flooding is expected with "immediate action required".

The EA has 323 slightly less severe orange flood alerts active - these urge people to be prepared.

Below is the latest map, external from the EA which shows the locations of the flood warnings and alerts.

Image source, Environment Agency

Over in Wales, Natural Resources Wales currently has two flood warnings in place which include areas around the River Wye in Monmouth and at the River Ritec at Tenby.

Another 12 flood alerts are active in Wales

There are currently no flood warnings in force for Scotland or Northern Ireland.

A man from Worcestershire has managed to keep his home dry, despite living in an area prone to flooding, after building a flood wall around his property.

Nick Lupton, who lives next to the River Severn, told the BBC that his home has been flooded 11 times since 2016.

We've been hearing from people affected by the floods across the country this morning.

Jacob Davidge from Loughborough tells BBC Radio 4 he was suddenly awoken on Tuesday morning to water gushing into his home.

He says the water eventually got up to his knees.

"We just began scooping it up as best we could, we grabbed some towels from upstairs and we were using them as a sponges, bringing them into buckets then pouring them down the sink."

Jacob says that after 45 minutes to an hour of doing this, the water had then got up to his ankles in the hallway, kitchen and living room. He then used larger buckets to try and control the levels.

"Then after another hour of this it was up to our knees. We tried not to panic and retreated upstairs with as many belongings as possible and then (we've) just been waiting it out ever since."

Image source, LFB

Overnight, around 50 people in east London were led to safety by fire crews after a River Lea canal its banks in Hackney Wick.

Ten fire engines were called to flooding between Dace Road and Wick Lane just after 22:15 GMT last night and stayed at the scene until the early hours of this morning.

Several buildings were flooded as a result of the rising water and 70 firefighters carried out welfare checks on a further 50 people who were able to remain in their homes unaffected.

London Fire Brigade's Dan Capon said: "Firefighters worked through the night to ensure the scene was safe and evacuated a number of people from surrounding buildings."