Floods Could Wreak Havoc Across Britain Again As MORE Rain Due To Hit (PICTURES)

More Floods Could Be On The Way As Another Bout Of Rain Due

Another band of heavy rain is due to hit parts of Britain, bringing the risk of further flooding as thousands of homes still remain without power following storms over Christmas.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning be aware - for the early hours of Monday morning.

Heavy rain is expected to spread across the south west of England and south Wales from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, the Met Office said.

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Winds of 60-70mph are expected to hit Wales and parts of south-west and southern England, while exposed areas such as the Isles of Scilly, west Cornwall and west Wales could see gales of up to 80mph.

"With ground already saturated over much of this region, the public should be aware of the risk of further local flooding," the Met Office said.

Scotland is also braced for more heavy rain overnight on Sunday into Monday morning, with 20-30mm of rainfall predicted and much as 50-60mm over high ground.

Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said the unsettled weather looks set to continue into the new year.

"On New Year's Eve another band of rain will push in from the west. It will be a dry start to Wednesday but the unsettled weather will be around for quite some time into the new year."

The Environment Agency (EA) said the predicted rainfall meant there is a "continued heightened flood risk" across southern England, especially south-west England where river levels remain high and the ground is already saturated.

Large rivers such as the Thames, Severn and Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire are most at risk of flooding, while high water levels on the River Medway and Stour in Kent will cause continued flooding and travel disruption, the EA said.

Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England, the EA said, while flood defences have protected more than 80,000 properties.

A Downing Street spokesman said ministers held a COBR meeting today where it was agreed financial assistance will be given to local authorities facing an undue financial burden because of the storms through a process known as the Bellwin scheme.

Energy Secretary Edward Davey is also in talks with UK Power Networks to insist on a clear public timeline for work to get power back on, he added.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who was yesterday confronted by an angry flood victim in Yalding, Kent, tweeted: "I've asked the Dept for Communities & Local Govt to ensure councils have robust plans in case of bad weather and flooding over New Year."

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) said 4,000 homes across the UK were without electricity, as one of the UK's biggest power distributors promised to almost triple compensation for customers affected.

Some 81 flood alerts and 16 more serious flood warnings remained in place across the country this afternoon.