Scores of people were forced to spend a second night in temporary shelter after a month's worth of rain fell in a few hours, flooding their homes.

The floods, which have begun to recede in some areas, caused massive tailbacks of stranded motorists on the M5 around Gloucestershire at the start of the holiday season.

Train services look set to continue to be disrupted by the damage.

Police are investigating the possibility that the bad weather may have contributed to a collision which killed a 23-year-old driver. Amith Singh Dhaliwal, from Wolverhampton, was pronounced dead at the scene on the A449 in Caunsall, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Police said the area was very wet.

The massive operation saw RAF and Coastguard helicopters winch stranded people to safety and others rescued by lifeboat crews and ordinary members of the public.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has brushed off suggestions that armed forces overstretch meant there were not enough troops available to help deal with the crisis.

Speaking on BBC News 24 Sunday, he said he had full confidence in the Environment Agency, which has come in for criticism for not getting flood defences in place in time to save towns from being flooded. Mr Benn insisted that military help was available to local authorities and emergency services dealing with the floods.

Provision of sandbags to householders under threat of flooding was not primarily a responsibility of the Army, but of local authorities, he pointed out. "There are military liaison officers in the Gold Command and the Gold Command officer in charge can call upon the Army and those resources will be provided," he said.

"That is why I asked the question yesterday 'Have you got the resources that you need?' So far, the answer I have been given is 'Yes, we have and we are doing our best to cope with the difficult circumstances'."