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Twenty crew were rescued last night off the Greek-registered Ice Prince by helicopter and lifeboat in storm conditions with a 16ft swell in the Channel. The mission was described by one lifeboatman as a "once-in-a-career" rescue – after the vessel’s cargo of timber shifted and she listed to a 40-degree angle.

This morning severe weather was hampering attempts to salvage the boat, which was lying with its stern on the seabed 190ft below and its bows poking out above water. A surveillance aircraft had to postpone plans to fly over the spot where the ship went down to assess pollution, as force nine gales made it unsafe to fly.

Salvage experts were meeting a government maritime official today to discuss how to remove the huge, stricken vessel, which poses a danger to other shipping.

The Ice Prince, which is more than 328ft (100m) long and weighs 6,395 tonnes, sent out an emergency call at 7pm on Sunday after getting into difficulties. As well as its cargo of timber, which has all washed into the sea, it was carrying 313 tonnes of fuel oil.

Both MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, and the Met Office said the heaviest band of wet weather was moving rapidly eastwards.

John Hutchinson, forecaster for MeteoGroup, said: "There’s been quite a bit of rain over night and into the morning.

"That’s moving its way eastwards, there’s still quite a lot of rain moving out this afternoon.

"The wettest place overnight was Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire, Wales which saw 32mm (1.3in)."

The Met Office has severe weather warnings in place across south-western England and in Scotland for today and tomorrow.

Later the port of Dover was closed to shipping movements due to severe weather conditions of up to force nine winds in the Channel. A port spokeswoman advised people to contact their operator before travelling.

Flood warnings have remained in place since Friday, when flash flooding brought roads and railways to a standstill. More than 30mm of rain fell on January 11 and travellers were delayed by motorway closures on the M5 and train diversions on the Great Western railway.

With further wet weather expected later this week, residents in Gloucester, Tewkesbury and several towns in the Forest of Dean - areas badly hit by last year’s floods - were this morning staying at home to move their possessions to the first floor, and to barricade their doors with sandbags and rolled up carpets.

Last July, more than 4,000 homes and 500 businesses across Gloucestershire were inundated.

Many residents of Tewkesbury still remain in caravans after being displaced from their homes.

Kelly Bartlett, chairman of the Longlevens Flood Committee in Gloucester, one of the city’s worst-affected wards, said that the council was urgently trying to widen and deepen the brook which runs through her area.

She said: "We’ve only just moved back into our homes after the flooding last summer. On Friday we were fighting once again to save ourselves from flooding.

"It’s ridiculous. You can't live a normal life. Every time it rains you have to stay at home."

In Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, one of the worst-hit areas last summer, the River Avon burst its banks on Friday and was this morning showing no sign of receding.

John Bishop, the landlord of the Fleet Inn, in Twyning, on the banks of the Avon, was praying the rising waters do not flood his beer garden and boiler room again. The popular inn was devastated last year when the river swept into the lower buildings, damaging heating and kitchen equipment.

Mr Bishop, 52, said: "It’s very, very bad news, especially as we are just getting over what happened in the summer. I hope this time won’t be as bad but if the water comes up another 16 inches, we will be in trouble. If the heating system in the boathouse gets damaged, that will be very costly indeed.

"It is frightening that it has taken so little rain to put us in a perilous position once again. I’m on my way out to get more sandbags from the council - I think we’ll need about 40 to try and keep the water out.

"At the moment we are on tenterhooks waiting to see how much (rain) will fall."

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