UK towns warned of Thames surge danger

Parts of the UK remain in the grip of flooding today, with further surges expected on the River Thames and more than 340,000 people facing the prospect of two weeks without fresh water.

Tens of thousands of people in the centre of Oxford could be waking up without power today after fire chiefs warned that an electricity substation could be breached in the early hours of this morning as the water continued to rise.

In Gloucestershire, floodwater has finally receded along the River Severn, with water levels falling by more than six inches in Tewkesbury.

But vulnerable towns along the River Thames including Henley, Reading, Marlow and Windsor have been warned water levels could rise again today.

The British government has pledged a further £10m (€14m) to help battle the floods – in addition to the £14m (€20m) initially promised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier this month.

The UK's Environment Secretary Hillary Benn said the recent crisis – the worst flooding for more than 60 years – was far from over and had caused “considerable human distress”.

The Queen has added her support, saying she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the devastation.

Emergency services managed to restore electricity to more than 48,000 houses, but Severn Trent said mains water supplies in Gloucestershire could be off for two weeks.