The Environment Agency issued flood warnings

The A143 is blocked at St Olaves on the River Waveney between Great Yarmouth and Beccles, and the A12 has been closed at Reydon on the River Blyth.

Ballast has also been washed away from the Norwich-Lowestoft railway line at Haddiscoe Bridge in Suffolk.

The line is closed for repairs but was due to re-open after next weekend.

Neil Duffield, from Gorleston lifeboat, said they had to move their vessel further up the River Bure because its mooring had become inaccessible.

Residents of Great Yarmouth and much of Broadland have been on flood alert.

Boaters stranded

Gale force 11 northerly winds prevented the sea level from dropping after Tuesday afternoon's high tide and this has kept the Rivers Yare, Bure, Ant, Thurne and Waveney unusually high.

The River Bure has also overflowed its banks leaving boaters at Great Yarmouth yacht station stranded on board.

The River Yare east of Norwich has also flooded part of the road along the Green at Thorpe St Andrew.

The Environment Agency had been warning for several weeks that weather conditions along the east coast would bring a threat of flooding in some places.

Flood alerts have now been issued along the North Sea coasts from Sheringham in Norfolk to the Thames estuary in Essex.

Environment Agency specialists are maintaining flood watches in Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.