Rivers are close to bursting and water levels are still rising as Britain endures the worst floods in 60 years.

The Environment Agency said water levels may not peak for two days and some rivers may rise more than 20 feet above their normal levels.

The areas hit hardest by flooding were Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Facilities at the UK's nuclear warhead Atomic Weapons Establishment's (AWE) sites in Aldermaston and Burghfield, near Reading, were also affected by the heavy rains.

A sewage plant flooded on one of the sites but tests carried out on flood water for potential radiation discovered no contamination on either site.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has travelled by helicopter to survey the damage along the River Severn and promised a review into the disaster.

Environment Secretary Hillary Benn warned that more flooding was yet to come.

He said: "I must emphasise that this emergency is far from over.

"Further flooding is very likely as the Thames and the Severn fill with floodwater from within their catchments."

Eight severe flood warnings and 50 other flood warnings remained in place as further rain in the stricken areas today added to the misery.

Environment Agency spokesman Anthony Perry said: "We have not seen flooding of this magnitude before. The benchmark was 1947 and this has already exceeded it."

Severn Trent Water confirmed "at least" 350,000 homes in Gloucestershire would be without water after the failure of its water treatment centre at Mythe, near Tewkesbury. More than 40,000 families are without power.

Tim Brain, chief constable of Gloucestershire Police, said the force's main priority was to keep power running at Walham sub-station, which powers half a million homes, but he said the "prognosis was good".

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