Heavy rain has caused misery for rail passengers in many parts of the country, while homes and businesses in south-west England were hit by flooding.

Motorists and shoppers also faced difficult conditions on one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel and shopping.

Four severe flood warnings - which means there is a danger to life - were issued in Devon and Cornwall.

The town of Braunton in north Devon was effectively cut off, with homes and shops under water, after the River Caen burst its banks.

Heavy rain continued across much of the country throughout the day as the Christmas getaway continued.

The Environment Agency (EA) said there was a heightened flood risk across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West and East Sussex, North Yorkshire, South Wales, Ceredigion and Gwynedd.

Many people had their Christmas travel arrangements disrupted as rail services were badly hit.

The First Great Western train company advised passengers whose travel was not essential to avoid any journeys west of Taunton in Somerset because of flooding and landslips. Arriva Trains Wales told passengers to avoid any rail travel in South Wales.

Both operators were using road vehicles to transport passengers, but efforts were hampered by a lack of vehicles and flooded roads.

The Highways Agency said there were a handful of flooding incidents affecting roads, including the closure of the A21 in both directions near Battle, East Sussex.