The return of the floods: The River Severn turns Tewkesbury Abbey into a virtual island after days of heavy rain in an unwelcome reminder of the devastating floods of 2007
Despite the drought and the hosepipe ban, much of England and Wales was braced for flooding today as further heavy rain continued to wreak havoc across the country.
And, as if Britons needed confirmation of just how wet it has been, newly-released figures show the month so far has seen 'well above' average rainfall across the UK, with 97mm recorded - 140 per cent of the long-term monthly average.
Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which was devastated by flooding in July 2007, was on alert with the Environment Agency setting up an incident room there along with two others in the Midlands and another in the Wessex area.
Stretches of the Severn were at risk of bursting their banks following weather which will be an unwelcome reminder of Tewkesbury's flash floods in 2007, which claimed the lives of three people and left 350,000 people in the county without a supply of clean drinking water.
The Environment Agency also warned of localised flooding across parts of southern and eastern England, the Midlands and Wales, with a total of 32 flood warnings and 160 flood alerts in place on its website today.
And while residents of the south east could bask in temperatures of up to 19 degrees today, more heavy outbreaks of rain will be moving up from France.
Under siege: A vast expanse of water surrounds the historic Abbey after days of heavy rain swell the River Severn and cause it to bursts its banks
He said: 'So far it is the wettest April in our records. We are seeing well above average rainfall, 97mm in the UK on average which is 140 per cent of the long term average.
''At the moment there is about 20 to 30mm and there is more rain to come. The wettest areas are in parts of the West Midlands, eastern Wales and south-west England.
Damage: The storms caused several tonnes of beech tree, thought to be around 300 years old, to fall against Toni Hoare's home, leaving five holes in the roof above her bedroom
''There is a strong north-eastern wind which is quite an unusual direction for this time of year.
''It has led to some branches coming off trees and we have been some reports of disruption to roads from trees blocking them.
''We have a yellow warning out for the east and west, which warns the public to be aware of the risks and disruption.
Flashback: Tewkesbury Cathedral standing close to the water as the River Seven and the River Avon rise around it during the devastating floods of 2007. Officials are now on alert for a new deluge.
''But overnight the winds eased across the South East and temperatures could reach 18 or 19 degrees. It will also dry up in London.
''But into this evening thundery rain will push up from France into the South and Tuesday will again see heavy outbreaks of rain which will get to 20 or 30mm in most areas.
''The rest of the week will more of a North and South divide, with the South remaining unsettled with some rain at times.
''It will definitely be a week to take an umbrella out. It is typical for this month but it has been exceptionally unsettled.'
Swollen: The heavy rain has swollen the River Dee in Llangollen in north Wales, turning the river into a torrent
In a statement, organisers said: 'The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded. Further rain is due this week leaving no chance of the ground drying out.
'Very sadly therefore the 2012 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials has been cancelled.
'Purchasers of advance tickets, exhibitors, Sponsors and riders will of course be refunded as soon as is practical.'
Fierce winds battered much of the country yesterday as a deluge followed the hosepipe ban, uprooting hundreds of trees with gusts of up to 71mph, blocking roads or striking power lines, and in turn blacking out thousands of homes.
One tree crashed into a Devon home, narrowly missing a woman nursing her young baby.
Forebidding: The dark clouds augur more rain, as the force of the water in the Dee bends trees
'Environment Agency teams are out on the ground continuing a close watch on river levels as well as checking defences and clearing any potential blockages to reduce the risk of flooding.'
Ian Lock, landlord of the Boat Inn at Ashleworth, which is south of Tewkesbury next to the River Severn, told the BBC the water was 'worryingly high'.
'If we'd had a high tide on Saturday night we would have had trouble - thankfully we didn't - just another three or four feet and we would have had problems.
Deluge: A Land Rover 4x4 driving through deep floodwater in Essex after heavy rain yesterday. A total of 160 flood alerts and 32 flood warnings were in place today across England and Wales
Aisling Creevey, forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the rain should ease off by this afternoon but heavy downpours would return tomorrow.
She said: 'I can see anywhere between 15 and 30mm (1.2") falling. It's difficult to see where the heaviest rain will fall. But most places should be dry by late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday morning.'
However, despite the torrential rain, officials said that it was still nowhere near enough to lift water restrictions introduced earlier this month.
Richard Benyon, Environment Minister with responsibility for flooding and water, told ITV Daybreak today that the long-term problem of water shortage still exists despite the downpours.
'Welcome though this rain is to some farmers, unwelcome though it is to people who want to enjoy themselves and to those who potentially might be flooded, it does mean that we are not filling up the ground reserves that we need in order to cope with the drought,' he said.
Fierce winds: A workman passes the tangle of scaffolding poles after they came down. A main road had to be closed at the junction where builders are working on a new Jamie Oliver restaurant
Strong winds shook buildings, whipped up waves and blew people off their feet across much of Wales and southern England.
Unusually, the winds were north-easterly, which meant many trees, used to withstanding prevailing westerly winds, were more vulnerable.
A police officer had to be cut free when his van was smashed by a falling beech in Odiham, Hampshire, yesterday morning. The British Transport Police special constable was taken to hospital, where he was stable last night.
More than 60 trees were reported to have fallen across roads in Gloucestershire, with a further 57 uprooted across the Cardiff area.
Freak accident: Part of a tree crashed through the roof of this police van as it travelled through Odiham, Hampshire. Local sources reported a police officer was seriously injured
Gusts also played havoc with buildings - in Notting Hill Gate, West London, a large section of scaffolding collapsed into the road in the early hours. No one was hurt.
In coastal areas, last month's balmy spring weather was a distant memory, with deckchairs tethered together to prevent them blowing away. Coastguards across the South were dealing with boats which had sunk or lost masts at their moorings, or been blown out to sea.
Continuing heavy rain added to the disruption, with some areas inundated by more than an inch-and-a-half in just 24 hours.
Crushed: The stormy weather caused a tree to collapse on top of a parked car in Dulwich, south London
Mother-of-three Toni Hoare was feeding her baby Winnie in bed when she heard a 'noise like a car crashing' at around 5.30am on Sunday.
The 300-year-old beech tree fell against the Hoare's house leaving five holes in the roof above Toni's bedroom.
The 32-year-old practise nurse said: 'There was so much noise, it was a really loud cracking sound that went on for several seconds, like a car crashing and lots of crunching. I thought the whole house was falling down.
'I looked out of the window and there were branches everywhere. I was shaking for about an hour with all the shock and the enormity of it all. We're lucky to be alive.'
Troubled waters: The harbour lighthouse at Seaham, County Durham, is engulfed as towering waves explode against the sea wall this morning, driven by gale force winds off the North Sea as a storm sweeps across Britain
Pig stys and horse shelters were wrecked in the high winds at the Woodside Animal Sanctuary.
Assistant manager Lisa Darcy said: 'I couldn't help but cry at the sight of the destruction.'
Firemen in Hockley, Essex, rescued eight motorists trapped in their cars in rising water - in Watery Lane - although no homes were reported flooded last night.
Overflow: Three horses wade through flood water on farm land near Stapleford Abbotts in Essex following heavy rainfall
Maureen and Douglas Gardner freed themselves from their seatbelts after their Renault Clio plunged 12ft and landed on its roof on the riverbed before filling with water.
Mrs Gardner, 76, desperately fought to keep husband Douglas' head above the freezing waters of the River Frome in West Stafford, Dorset while they waited for rescuers to arrive.
Firefighters opened one of the submerged doors of the Clio and led Mrs Gardner to safety.
Her 78-year-old husband, who had been driving, was placed on a spinal board and lifted out of the river.
They were both suffering from hypothermia and taken to the Dorset County Hospital at Dorchester where they remain today.
Crushed: A huge tree uprooted and toppled over on top of three cars in Uppermill, Oldham, due to the rain and high winds
And the wash-out spring is as big a nightmare for gardeners as the drought, with growers preparing for next month's Chelsea Flower Show reporting stunted seedlings and tiny buds. It is looking increasingly likely that this month will prove to have been the wettest April since records began in 1910, beating the previous record of 120.3mm (4.7in), set in 2000.
But the Environment Agency reinforced Mr Benyon's comments there is no sign of an end for the drought measures in place through Southern England, East Anglia and parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Bogged down: A runner gets stuck in the mud at the Maldon Mud Race as her rivals splash on by
After overnight rain clears, today is set to see blustery showers in the South but it will feel much milder.
May is looking unsettled, the Met Office said last night.
Act of God: Choristers' gowns billow as they battle through extreme weather on their way to Matins at Peterborough Cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Ian Bell, eight, had been playing with friends on the banks of the Wear near Willington, County Durham, on Friday evening.
Meanwhile on the continent, a balmy 32 degrees
As Britons gritted their teeth against relentless downpours and hair-raising storms, parts of mainland Europe enjoyed distinctly summery conditions.
Sunbathers in Vienna, Austria, pulled on the swimwear and soaked up the rays at this outdoor pool as temperatures in the region soared to a high of 32 degrees Celsius.
Sun worshipers lounge around at the public swimming pool Schoenbrunner Bad in Vienna as Austria enjoys a weekend heatwave
it has been rather moist but my Rhubarb is loving it