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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in flood-hit Derbyshire after parts of Britain suffered chaos today as a woman's body was recovered from floodwater, drivers were stranded in their cars and people were forced to sleep in a shopping centre overnight.

A resident looks out at the floodwater at his doorstep in Bentley, north of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire this morning

A woman was swept away by floodwater in Rowsley, Derbyshire, in the early hours before her body was found in Darley Dale at 10.40am following what residents of South Yorkshire described as 'biblical' amounts of rain.

Aerial photographs showed devastating scenes in Doncaster, where residents were rescued from their homes as waist-high water filled the street. One local said water trickled along 'like a shadow' before covering the road.

Yorkshire and the Midlands were the worst affected areas, with six severe 'danger to life' warnings in place as fire crews were called in to help guide people to safety, while many rail and road users were warned against travelling.

Customers slept on benches while restaurant workers used their aprons as pillows at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, while firefighters used boats to rescue others stranded at the Parkgate mall in nearby Rotherham.

Sandbags arrive in a badly flooded area of Bentley, north of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire this afternoon

A major incident was declared in Sheffield as the Environment Agency issued 121 flood alerts and 117 more serious flood warnings for England today, with the risk not expected to pass for many areas for several days to come.

Some 35 homes were evacuated in Mansfield after a mudslide at a quarry, while other areas were hit by traffic chaos amid road closures - with more of the same in this morning's rush hour after a further deluge overnight.

Rail operator Northern has issued 'do not travel' advice for passengers using five lines - Sheffield to Gainsborough, Sheffield to Lincoln, Sheffield to Goole, Hebden Bridge to Rochdale, and Sheffield to Leeds via Moorthorpe.

Residents of Toll Bar, near Doncaster, which was hit by flooding in 2007, have told how 'almost biblical' rain came pouring down. Parts of the village were still submerged this morning, with locals on 'red alert' for further flooding.

Doncaster Council warned some people to leave their homes because the River Don is breaching its banks near St Oswald Church at Kirk Sandall, tweeting: 'Residents in these areas are advised to evacuate immediately.'

Yorkshire and the Midlands were the worst affected areas by the flooding, with Doncaster particularly badly hit today

The Environment Agency has issued 121 flood alerts and 117 more serious flood warnings for England today

The River Derwent is centimetres from reaching the underside of Exeter Bridge in Derby this evening.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: 'Some places have seen a month's worth of rain in one day. The rain is easing and moving south but obviously the impact of that will continue to be felt.'

Some 35 homes were evacuated in Mansfield after a mudslide at a quarry which fell into a homeowner's garden yesterday

Dinghies were used by the authorities to help stranded residents escape their homes with roads covered in water

Sheffield was particularly badly hit during flooding in summer 2007, which saw millions of pounds spend on prevention schemes.

Yet it was again hit by some of the most dramatic scenes yesterday, with a number of roads left impassable to traffic, cars stranded in floodwater and gridlock resulting on many routes.

As this morning, the Environment Agency had three severe 'danger to life' warnings in place relating to the river at Kirk Bramwith, South Bramwith and the Willow Bridge caravan site, all in Doncaster.

Sandbags arrive in a badly flooded area of Bentley, north of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire this afternoon