Video: Worst flooding for 70 years in Leeds and York - thousands left without power

Dozens of severe flood warnings were still in place in Yorkshire and the North West but no further rain warnings were issued.

A spokeswoman at North Yorkshire Police said the force has advised between 300 and 400 people to evacuate in York, although some people had chosen to stay.

The Met Office said the worst-hit areas would see very little rain today - 1-2mm at most in the late afternoon.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 31 severe flood warnings, signalling a risk to life, although many of the rivers involved were predicted to have reached peak levels.

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts are still in place across England and Wales.

The Met Office was forecasting ice in parts of Scotland today but no further weather warnings were in place.

The River Aire, in Leeds, was predicted by the EA to have reached “record levels” at 11pm last night, with nine severe flood warnings in place.

Residents in York city centre, Huntington, Tang Hall, Osbaldwick and Foss Island were advised to start moving valuables to upper floors and to prepare to be evacuated.

The EA said pumps in the Foss Barrier were at risk of electrical failure due to water entering the building and a decision had been taken to lift the barrier.

Sally Burns, director of communities and neighbourhoods, at York Council, said the River Ouse is expected to peak at 5.3m above normal summer levels at lunchtime on Monday - just 15cm short of the city’s flood defences.

York has 2.5 miles of flood defences, designed to withstand river levels of up to 5.45m above normal summer levels and have never been breached.

She said: “The River Ouse is expected to peak at 5.3m above normal summer levels tomorrow lunchtime. Around 500 properties are directly affected by the flooding at present and the emergency services, the Environment Agency, City of York Council and the Armed Forces are working around the clock to protect and support the city and its residents. I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard over the last few days, including residents and volunteers.

“We’re advising people not to travel to or around the city unless their journey is absolutely necessary as many major roads are affected.”

West Yorkshire Police declared a “major incident”. The army deployed 100 soldiers to help assist emergency services in the hardest hit areas in Calderdale and Leeds.

More than 2000 homes were flooded in the district and left without power. Northern Powergrid said 2,600 premises were still affected at Sunday lunchtime.

In Leeds, The Kirkstall Road area of the city was badly hit, with flooding also reported in The Calls area, Leeds City centre. Around 12000 homes were alsoreported to be without power, although this has since been restored.

Up to 1000 homes in Leeds were reported to have suffered some flooding and the scale of flooding to commercial premises is still being considered.

River levels in the River Aire peaked last night and are now falling, although around 24 road closures were still in place there this morning. Many of them were centred around the A65, Wellington Street and Kirkstall Road areas.

By 3pm on Sunday, 62 flood warnings and 18 severe flood warnings were in place. The Environment Agency said “a significant number” of properties had been flooded in the Calder and Aire Valleys, and river levels were continuing to rise on the lower River Aire.

A spokesman said: “Washlands are starting to fill. Some significant washlands are now full upstream of Castleford.”

The affected areas included Calderdale, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield (Horbury), Mickletown, Addingham, Ilkley, Otley, Castley Lane, Harewood and Tadcaster.

Alison Baptiste, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We still have severe flood warnings, meaning a risk to life, in force for parts of Yorkshire and river levels in these areas will continue to rise throughout today and tomorrow. People in these communities should continue to check their flood risk, prepare for flooding, follow the advice from emergency services and never risk driving through flood water.”

In the Bradford district, around 400 homes were evacuated with affected areas including Stockbridge, Skipton Road in Keighley, Bingley and Ilkley.

Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams, said: “The flooding situation we have experienced in West Yorkshire is quite simply the worst we have seen in 70 years, according to our partners in the Environment Agency.

“As a result we declared a major incident yesterday evening and received support from the Ministry of Defence who deployed 100 soldiers to assist with emergency and recovery efforts in Calderdale and Leeds.

“I want to reassure residents that emergency services are doing all they can and we will continue to do so until this situation improves.”

A man, who did not wish to be named, said he had been evacuated from his home in York at about 5.30am.

He said the water was waist-deep when he left.

The man, who was at an emergency rest centre at Archbishop Holgate’s School, said: “It’s not been a very nice night. I’ve had about 40 minutes sleep. Not a great way to spend Christmas.”

The Pallister family arrived at the centre with four children, who were still wearing their pyjamas.

They said the rescue services had been “really good” and checked on the family throughout the night.