Further stormy weather is expected in many parts of Britain this weekend bringing more misery to millions of households already hit by severe flooding.<br /><br />The Environment Agency has warned that high tides will bring a another risk of flooding despite an improvement in conditions.<br /><br />Torrential rain and hurricane force winds have been battering the country for more than a week, leaving thousands without power and causing widespread damage.<br /><br />The government has been criticised for announcing around 1,500 job losses in roles connected to floods at the Environment Agency but it insists “frontline services” will be protected.<br /><br />The picture is much the same across large parts of northern France. <br /><br />In Brittany, strong winds and heavy rainfall have caused flooding leaving thousands stranded in their own homes.<br /><br />The severe weather has also affected Belgium too. Some 500 rail passengers were forced to spend five hours stuck in their carriages as their train was blocked by a fallen tree outside Aerschot. <br /><br />Elsewhere, there has been travel chaos and in many regions close-by there has been widespread damage which insurance cost assessors say could take weeks to estimate.
