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Five people are dead and emergency services are working around the clock as heavy rain and floods sweep across Britain.

Authorities warned people to avoid the worst-affected areas, but already residents and motorists have had to be rescued from rising waters in north Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Wales.

Over the past day the storms have moved from the south-west, up the country and today are pummelling the east and north-east of England.

Some areas had more than half a month’s rainfall in less than 24 hours.

On Friday, a 17-year-old girl died after the 4 x 4 she was travelling in overturned and plunged into a swollen river in Powys, Mid Wales.

Inspector Robert Price of Dyfed-Powys Police said the girl and two other people were airlifted to hospital from the Llyn Briane Reservoir area of the county.

A friend who survived the accident had driven several miles out of the remote forestry area to a farmhouse, to raise the alarm.

Inspector Price said: “The weather conditions were extremely bad and it took him a long time. He must have been quite traumatised by his journey.”

The girl was a visitor from Thamesmead, London.

In north Yorkshire last night, a motorcyclist died after his bike hit a tree branch that had fallen onto the road in the heavy gales. The air ambulance attended but the man, reported to be from the Sheffield area, died at the scene.

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