A creeping tide of muddy water has crossed roads, swamped gardens and deluged countless properties.

In many areas emergency services have been able to do little more than watch the floodwater's progress and make sure that no lives were at risk.

It is hoped that many homes and businesses will escape the worst effects, but hundreds of thousands of people remain on flood alert.

'Clear-up'

In Surrey Elaine Heavey was among the many people who tried to protect her home with rows of sandbags - with little effect.

Home owners could do little to stop the water

She said: "Now the water's in, there's nothing I can do about it, nothing.

"I mean, if you had seen me yesterday I wasn't very happy... especially when it's New Year's Day and you're standing here in water."

Three doors down from Mrs Heavey, Ken Lowe said the floods were the worst that anyone could remember.

He said: "All we're waiting for is the water to recede and then it will be a clear-up and we will take it one day at a time."

Another neighbour, Liz Shaw, had just returned from holiday with her family - but they could not even reach their house.

Mrs Shaw said: "My Mum phoned me in Rome airport to say there was flooding in Chertsea, but that's all we knew - we didn't know how bad it was.

"There doesn't supposed to be anything to tell me what I'm supposed to do and where I'm supposed to be going"

Barricades

The problems were repeated across the region - ensuring that this festive season will be one to remember, but for all the wrong reasons.

What we would expect as a result of climate change is a trend towards wetter winters, more intense rainfall during the winter over the UK Met Office

The River Medway at Yalding in Kent left roads only just passable and mobile homes water-logged.

Things were little better in Essex, where people living beside the River Colne were building barricades and waiting out the weather.

One resident said he was "angry, fed up, you name it - we're living under siege".

Winters to come

In Suffolk small rivers like the Gipping were flowing fast - leaving cars stranded.

And in Bedfordshire the River Flit poured into a garden centre.

A worker there said: "It happened so quickly that you just couldn't do anything about it.

"We rushed out and got sandbags, but the water was above the sandbags within seconds."

In other areas flood defences built two years ago were keeping the water back.

But there are fears that the scenes could be an indicator of winters to come - with less severe temperatures, but months of heavy rain.

Dave Griggs, director of climate research at the Met Office, said: "What we would expect as a result of climate change is a trend towards wetter winters, more intense rainfall during the winter over the UK."