England and Wales braced for flooding as heavy rain wreaks havoc (24Pics)

A 4x4 makes its way through the floodwater in Essex. Parts of Britain are braced for flooding as further heavy rain wreaks havoc across the country with 33 flood warnings and 158 flood alerts in place.

A torrential downpour turns the steps down to Langland Bay near Swansea into a waterfall

Floodwaters rise around Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire. The town lies at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon

Floodwaters rise around Mill Street, Tewkesbury

Floodwaters rise around Tewkesbury Cricket Club

broken umbrella lying on a street in Nottingham...

Strong winds have caused a large section of scaffolding to collapse on building work being carried out for a new Jamie Oliver restaurant at Notting Hill Gate in West London

A tree knocked down during a rainstorm lies on top of a parked car in Dulwich, south London

The sea wall and harbour lighthouse at Seaham, County Durham takes a battering from massive waves

Fields lie flooded after heavy rain cause the River Axe to burst its banks, Axminster, Devon

Villagers join forces to help remove trees blocking Iford Hill, near Freshford in Wiltshire

A car makes its way through flood water in York from the nearby River Ouse which continues to rise after the recent heavy rain

A woman stands on a step as she prepares to make her way along a flooded street in York after the River Ouse flooded parts of the city

The River Ouse in York city centre

Chef Richard Taylor looks at floodwater from the River Ouse as it rises to the steps of the Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis near York

Staff from the Lowther Pub in York build a ramp to the door so they can remain open for business as the nearby River Ouse continues to rise

The Knavesmire and York Racecourse, with floodwater covering large areas following torrential rainfall

A man and a dog wade through a flooded green at Knavesmire in York following another day of heavy rain

A flooded ford at Buttsbury Ford, Billericay, Essex

Left: People enjoy the warm weather on the bank of Hodge Beck river near Kirkbymoorside in North Yorkshire on 28 March. Right: The same area on Friday.

A man walks through a flooded road near Warkworth, Northumberland, as heavy rain continues to drench the UK