Thames Valley Police are urging drivers to extra care on the county’s roads

Nine flood warnings are in force across Oxfordshire as heavy rain from Storm Bert batters the county.

The Environment Agency have issued alerts along parts of the River Cherwell, as well as for the Wendlebury and Broxham Brooks.

Oxfordshire County Council say fire crews, highways teams and emergency planners have been “active throughout the weekend” after the warnings were issued.

Flooding is already affecting parts of West Oxfordshire, with Thames Valley Police declaring a “major incident” after Hailey Road in Witney was left impassable due to flooding.

The force says it is experiencing “a good number of calls in relation to flooded roads”, and are urging people to take extra care on the roads, and check the depth of standing water before travelling through.

Great Western Railway are urging people to not attempt to travel on their trains on Monday, after fallen trees have caused cancellations on many key routes.

The operator says people can travel on trains on Tuesday or Wednesday, or claim a refund on their tickets.

Chiltern Railways are also warning of disruption on Monday due to flooding affecting the rail line between Banbury and Bicester.

Across the UK, hundreds of homes have been left left underwater, roads were turned into rivers and winds of up to 82mph recorded.

The last of the Met Office’s rain warnings ended at 11.59pm on Sunday but strong winds persist and rain from high ground will reach rivers, which could disrupt clean-up efforts.

More than 200 flood alerts remain in place for England and Wales and travel issues are set to continue into the new week.

Some 350,000 homes in England lost power during the storm, though most have since been reconnected.

Simon Brown, services director at the Met Office, said: “Our thoughts are with those who are currently affected with the impacts caused by Storm Bert in South Wales, as well as the rest of the country.

“As always with a named storm, a full assessment of the forecast and warning strategy will take place with our partners.

“But this assessment is carried out post-event, therefore I would expect this to take place over the coming days.

“Storm Bert was well forecast, 48 hours in advance, with a number of warnings in place ahead of the system reaching the UK.

“We work closely with partners to assess the potential risks of extreme weather and the warnings covering Wales highlighted the potential for homes and businesses to flood with fast-flowing or deep floodwater possible, causing a danger to life.”