Pictures show parts of a historic city and town underwater after Storm Gerrit - with flood alerts warning of further chaos to come

The images show how the River Severn burst its banks and flooded both Tewkesbury and Worcester - with urgent warnings for residents to take immediate action.

The Met Office has also issued a number of severe weather warnings as a cold front sweeps into the UK.

Strong winds in the wake of Storm Gerrit are expected from 11am on Saturday (December 30) to 3am on Sunday (New Year's Eve).

The storm has already brought significant chaos to much of the UK with further warnings of severe travel disruption and loss of power.

The Met Office said: "An active cold front will move east across England and Wales during Saturday and into Sunday and will be characterised by strong winds and some heavy rain.

"Gusts of 45-50 mph widely, but squally near the cold front with some gusts around 60 mph, whilst the strongest gusts are likely near coasts in the west and south, with 65-75 mph in places."

The expected rain comes alongside the flood warning from the Environment Agency that for the River Severn urging those people to take action now.

The warning added: “Flooding is forecast to affect locations with low lying land expected to be most affected.

“We are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages in the area and we will continue to monitor levels closely.

“Avoid using low lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water.”