Floods cause pre-Christmas disruption – in pictures

Heavy rain continues to fall in the South West of England and creates hazardous conditions on the M5 in north Somerset Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A biker on a flooded road in Willington, South Derbyshire Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

On the road to Launcherleigh Glastonbury, locals and their dog take an early morning stroll through the floods Photograph: Robert Timoney/Rex Features

A man views his flooded car on the high street in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Floods hit Helston in west Cornwall where nearly 200 residents were evacuated from their homes overnight Photograph: apexnewspix.com/Apex

A flooded car park at Gunthorpe on the banks of the river Trent, Nottinghamshire Photograph: Neil Squires/PA

Resident Doug Johnson sweeps the debris of muck on the high street in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Flood damaged stock is seen behind a window in Braunton, Devon Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

A woman tries to avoid flood water in Stoke Canon, Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

People move flood damaged stock on to the street after flood waters entered the shop in Braunton Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Firefighters work to clear a section of the A399 in north Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A sign at Paddington station in London warns of disruption to rail travel in the west country due to flooding Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Flooding in York city centre Photograph: John Giles/PA

A woman looks out from a sandbagged doorway after the river Bray burst its banks and flooded Brayford, in north Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A car is towed from floodwater near Milby, North Yorkshire Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters

Rain falls at Ascot racecourse Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Shoppers brave the wind and rain to do some last-minute Christmas shopping on Buchanan Street, Glasgow Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Flood-damaged racks at a shop in Braunton, north Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Floodwater in Totton, Hampshire Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Villagers walk through flood water in the high street in Stoke Canon, Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Shoppers in Winchester Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

A couple walk their dogs past receding floodwater in the centre of Braunton Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Flood-damaged stock at a newsagents in Braunton, Devon Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Kayakers on the flooded Worcester racecourse Photograph: Richard Vernalls/PA

Railway engineers and fire and rescue service personnel monitor the inflatable dams on the railway lines at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, as they try to stem the flow of water where the track has flooded and caused structural damage, closing the lines Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A girl watches floodwater flow through the high street in Stoke Canon, Devon Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Glastonbury Tor in the background of a flooded field, after the Hartland river burst its banks, rendering hay bales unusable Photograph: Robert Timoney/Rex Features

Benches are partially submerged by floodwaters in Ross-On-Wye, Wales Photograph: Jon Super/AP

Residents observe the damage left to the high street in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, after heavy flooding. Some homes in the north east of Scotland have been evacuated after being hit by significant flooding Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

A horse grazes on a field flooded by water from the river Soar, near Quorn Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters