.Storm Frank has begun battering the UK with heavy rain and gales up to 80mph after sweeping in overnight
- .Flood-hit communities in Yorkshire and Cumbria are among those bracing for further misery this morning
- .Thousands of homes in Northern Ireland have experienced power cuts and flights delayed at Belfast airport
- .It came as police stepped up patrols amid fears looters in white vans are targeting flooded Yorkshire houses
- .Environment Agency chairman returned to UK today after disappearing to Barbados while North suffers flooding
Homeowners across the flood-hit north of England are being told to pack up and leave home immediately as Storm Frank threatens to topple flood defences once again when it brings nearly a month's worth of rain today.
Britain's sixth named storm swept in off the Atlantic overnight and is causing carnage across the UK from the south west of England up to Scotland.
Areas including Cornwall, Devon and Wales are currently being battered by winds of up to 80mph, while flooded communities across the North including in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria are facing up to six inches of rain.
Residents in Croston, Lancashire, and Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, are being urged to evacuate their properties amid 'danger to life' flood warnings, while thousands of homes across Scotland and Northern Ireland remain without power this morning after the storm swept in overnight.
Homes in Dumfries and Galloway are also being evacuated after the council activated its 'major emergency scheme' in anticipation of flooding that could see rivers rise as 'high as ever recorded'.
The storm is already causing carnage elsewhere in the country, particularly in the west, where gale-force winds have uprooted trees, brought motorways to a halt and sent large waves crashing over coastal defences.
Two cars fell victim to floodwater on the M74 near Abington in South Lanarkshire this morning after a section of the motorway was engulfed by floods.
Elsewhere, a woman was injured after being trapped in her car when a tree was blown onto it as she travelled along the A174 in Middlesbrough, and the A49 near Chorley, Lancashire, was blocked after trees fell across the main carriageway.
Unbelievable: Two cars fell victim to floodwater on the M74 near Abington in South Lanarkshire this morning. It came as Storm Frank swept in across the Atlantic - battering Britain with winds of up to 80mph and nearly a month's worth of rainfall in just a single day in some parts
Storm Frank causes carnage: A woman was described as 'walking wounded' after being trapped in her car when a tree was blown onto it on the A174 near Ormesby Bank in Middlesbrough this morning. It comes as Britain's sixth named storm approaches Britain today
Lucky escape: The female driver of this car managed to escape 'walking wounded' after the tree came down on her car near Ormesby Bank in Middlesbrough. Forecasters say six inches of rain and 80mph winds will lash England, Wales and Scotland today due to Storm Frank
Chaotic scenes: A large tree has blocked and closed the A49 near Chorley, Lancashire, this morning as Storm Frank saw gale-force winds sweep across Britain. The stormy weather will bring further misery to flooded communities still struggling across the north of England
Warnings: This graphic on the left shows the regions where weather warnings are in place. The most-severe warnings, amber coloured, affect parts of Cumbria and Scotland while yellow-graded warnings affect much of Scotland, northern England and all western coasts. The graphic on the right shows rainfall moving over the country from the Atlantic as Storm Frank sweeps in - bringing up to six inches of rain
It comes as residents and business owners face further misery today as Storm Frank sweeps across the United Kingdom – bringing with it 80mph winds and up to six inches of rain.
In many areas across northern England, the ground is still saturated from previous downpours and river levels remain at record highs – prompting fears of further widespread flooding.
Waters are receding, but across the North, more than 6,700 homes have flooded in the past week.
Three severe flood warnings are in place in Croston, Lancashire, with residents being urged to pack up and leave without delay, while across England and Wales more than 40 flood warnings and more than 80 lower level flood alerts are in force.
About 5,500 homes are without power in Scotland as gale-force winds and heavy rain batter the country, while more than 2,000 homes in Northern Ireland suffered overnight blackouts as Frank swept in from the Atlantic.
More than 60 flood warnings and 14 alerts have also been issued north of the border, while a red weather warning was issued overnight for the Isle of Man with up to 100mm (4ins) of rain expected on high ground.
Powerful winds have already disrupted flights in and out of Belfast International Airport where planes were held or diverted among gusts of up to 55 knots, or about 63 mph.
Lisa Pinney of the EA said river levels had been falling but the renewed rainfall increased the risk of fresh flooding in already saturated areas like Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
She added that persistent rainfall in Wales meant there was also now a chance of flooding in the west and south west of England.
Ms Pinney, a flood manager, said: 'Overnight we've had some rain but more wind.
'We're expecting more rain today and into the late afternoon, so we're encouraging people to be aware.
'Based on the forecast we've had, we're not expecting to see scenes like we've had over the past few days and not see flood defence over-topping, for example.
'But we're aware the ground across the north of England is absolutely saturated. We're not complacent.'
She said the agency and its partners were working with communities like those in Appleby, in Cumbria, which has been repeatedly flooded, to make sure they were as prepared as possible for the fresh onslaught.
Here comes Frank: Britain's sixth named storm is already causing carnage across the country, particularly in the west of England, where gale-force winds have uprooted trees and sent large waves crashing over coastal defences, including in Porthleven, Cornwall (pictured)
Huge lashings: Large waves battered the coast of Porthleven in Cornwall this morning as Storm Frank swept in off the Atlantic. It will bring nearly a month's worth of rain and 80mph winds to much of Britain today before clearing off towards the Continent overnight into Thursday
Choppy: High tides combine with high winds as Storm Frank batters Plymouth Hoe in Devon today. While much of the north has fallen victim to the recent storms, forecasters warn the rest of the country will be affected by Storm Frank - with flooding and disruption expected
Gushing: A view of the Ulls Water in Glenridding, Ullswater, Cumbria, as Frank begins to batter the UK on its way towards flooded areas
Fast-flowing: Residents and business owners face further misery today as Storm Frank sweeps across the United Kingdom – bringing with it 80mph winds and up to six inches of rain to already-saturated communities including Ullswater in Glenridding, Cumbria (pictured today)
SENTIMENTAL JEWELLERY AND VALUABLE ITEMS STOLEN: FLOOD VICTIMS ARE TARGETED BY HEARTLESS LOOTERS
Dr Thomas Green locked up and left his house in York on Sunday after 2ft of water filled the ground floor. He returned to find opportunistic thieves had stolen a number of sentimental items
It has emerged that looters are targeting homes evacuated by flood victims to steal sentimental valuables such as jewellery and laptops.
Householders yesterday spoke of their devastation at returning to damaged properties to discover priceless family heirlooms missing.
Residents living along the River Foss in York, who had been forced to flee their homes, returned last night to find burglars had broken in and stolen valuables.
Dr Thomas Green locked up and left his £570,000 house on Sunday after 2ft of water filled the ground floor. In his absence, looters swiped priceless family heirlooms and electronics.
The haul included a diamond ring belonging to his wife's great-grandmother, silverware, a camera and a tablet computer.
He said: 'It was clear that they were taking small, expensive items that they could hide on their person. The TV and other large valuables were left behind.
'Some of what was taken was insured and easily replaced, but some of the sentimental items we'll never get back.'
Ben Cave and his partner Aimee Barlow, of York, were also targeted but the suspects were apparently spooked before taking anything.. Ms Barlow told The Sun: 'I woke up at 2am to a loud bang.
'In the morning I saw our back gate had been smashed in. They must have realised we were in and ran off.'
Other neighbours said they felt 'preyed upon' by opportunist thieves, while others said they are considering staying in their homes to guard against looters.
One unnamed resident said: 'I feel attacked. We're truly being kicked when we're down. It's unbelievably cruel.'
Police said it was 'impossible to comprehend' why the heartless opportunists would want to bring further suffering to those already hit by the crisis.
Officers stepped up patrols last night amid fears that looters in white vans were targeting flooded houses.
Biker gangs, including The Drifters, Broken Bones, Pyeratz and Nuntaii Mortis, also stepped in to deter looters in the Calderdale region of Yorkshire.
Night-time patrols of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd are being carried out by bikers from Bradford and beyond, with the blessing of police.
Dave Cariss, of The Drifters MCC, said: 'We saw people post on Facebook that they were trying to deter looters, and I thought who better to do that but 20-30 burly bikers.'
Acting Superintendent Mark Grange, of North Yorkshire Police, said: 'It is extremely disappointing to see victims of the floods being targeted in this way.
'It is impossible to comprehend why anyone would want to bring further suffering to those who are already in a very vulnerable situation.'
Much of the worst flooding is expected to centre on York, which has been inundated since Boxing Day, with the surrounding communities along the rivers Aire, Ouse, and Swale also likely to bear the brunt of fresh floods.
However the North West, particularly along the River Yarrow, and coastal areas of the South West are also in danger of flooding today.
Named in alphabetical order since the start of November, the winter storms hitting Britain have led to record-breaking rainfall in parts of the country throughout December, with more than 6,700 homes flooded in the North of England over the past week alone.
Forecasters said almost a month's worth of rain was expected to fall on parts of Scotland today.
Earlier, EA chairman Sir Philip, returning from his holiday, spoke briefly to reporters outside his flat in Marylebone in London saying he would be visiting Yorkshire later, and would be 'very happy to speak' with people when he got there.
The timing of his Caribbean break had been criticised, although the EA pointed out he had visited flood victims in Cumbria earlier this month.
An agency spokesman said Sir Philip had been in 'regular contact' with the organisation regarding its response to the current situation, and was now set to visit flooded residents later.
Crash: Huge waves lashed the coast of Lyme Regis, Dorset, today as tides and high winds combined thanks to the arrival of Storm Frank
Trying to get a better view: People watch as waves crash over the Cobb at Lyme Regis, Dorset, as Storm Frank begins to batter the UK on its way towards flood-hit areas. The country is set to bring misery to western coasts but also flood-hit communities in the north of Britain
A wave of destruction: A tree crashed down in East Belfast, Northen Ireland, overnight as Storm Frank first hit that region before moving across the Irish Sea towards western coasts of England and Scotland. It will move over Britain during the day before moving off tonight
Assessing the damage: Officials begin work on the collapsed sea wall in Southsea, Hampshire, today. Emergency repairs to a section of the wall which protects Britain's most densely populated city began this morning amid fears it could totally collapse during Storm Frank
Fancy that: Concerns have been growing after part of the sea defences in Southsea, Hampshire, gave way following a bout of bad weather and high tide. As Storm Frank approaches today, there are fears the hole could escalate and the sea wall totally collapse in high winds
Inspection: A man takes a look at the collapsed sea wall in Southsea, which has worsened overnight during the arrival of Storm Frank
Today, in preparation for the storm, a Chinook helicopter landed in Croston, Lancashire, to help repair a breach in the river to minimise flooding.
The village has been left devastated by the Boxing Day floods and is still under several feet of water.
The Environment Agency said the River Douglas south of the village had 'overwhelmed' defences, causing a 'gap'.
The RAF helicopter arrived to bringing in materials and moving sandbags to the worst affected areas.
Local resident Oliver Hill lives in the village of Bretherton half a mile away from Croston.
He said: 'We could see the Chinook from our back garden, my two sons couldn't believe it. It was there nearly all day bringing in stuff to plug the hole in the bank.'
'We have never seen anything like this. No one can get into the village as the roads are still all completely flooded.'
Police said Meadow lane was closed between A59 and Croston, to facilitate work on River Douglas.
A message from Lancashire Police on Twitter said: 'There is a flood risk in Croston due to a breach in the bank at the River Douglas just north of Rufford.
An appeal has been launched to help residents get back on their feet and kick-start their clean-up campaign.
Sarah Pattison has already raised £1,500 to help the village where members of her family live.
The 31-year-old said: 'It's just devastating. You walk along and it's just awful. There's kids toys from Christmas piled up and you know they won't work again.
Storm Damage: The main bridge in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, collapsed overnight into the swollen River Wharfe, rupturing gas pipes. Around 130 residents remain evacuated from their properties this morning as officials check for gas leaks and clear debris from the scene
Gone: The 300-year-old bridge in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, collapsed as a result of the floods which have devastated communities across the north. It comes as residents are being warned to expect further flooding as Storm Frank sweeps in across Britain today
Devastating: The entire 300-year-old bridge in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, fell into the swollen River Wharfe after falling victim to the recent flooding. Nearby residents have been evacuated over gas fears as officials warn further rain and flooding is on the way from Storm Frank
As well as further flooding, the storm is also expected to bring gale-force winds of between 55 and 65mph, with gusts in more exposed areas reaching up to 80mph.
However meteorologists said the stormy weather is set to give way to chillier but brighter weather – with the potential of some snow – in time for New Year's Eve.
Met Office spokesman Nicola Maxey said: 'A storm is named because of its wind strength, and we are looking at gusts of between 55 and 65mph in parts of Northern England, with more exposed areas seeing up to 80mph.
'We have forecast there will be in excess of 120mm (4.7in) of rain, which could be higher in parts of Cumbria.
'In the amber warning areas we could be seeing rain of up to 140mm (5.5in), but the main issue for flooding is where the ground is more saturated.
'The worst of the storm will be on Wednesday, but by Thursday and Friday it should be more settled and brighter.
'Temperatures will be a little bit colder, with chances of a frost on Thursday night and maybe some snow further north.'
In Scotland, police have already been forced to close a number of roads due to the rising water level - including a caravan site in Braemar, which was evacuated early this morning.
Winds in excess of 80mph were recorded in some areas, and one farm suffered the loss of a barn after a tree was blown down during the storm.
Farmer Andrew Paterson, 41, from Balfron, near Stirling, said a 200-year-old tree had come down during the night onto his milking barn.
He said: 'The tree came down over night sometime between 12 and 1am. We still came in to start milking at about 2.30am, but we'd never heard a thing.
'I'm just waiting for someone to come up to the farm to remove the tree from the shed. It's blocking the entire road which makes it difficult for us and for other drivers.
'It's certainly the worst weather I've seen for a while. Last night was the worst of all the recent storms we've been having lately.
'I record the wind speeds here and at one point last night I recorded 50mph speeds, and I believe it was up to 75mph later.
'It's the highest I'd had it in 10 years of recording, but it really could have been a lot worse.'
Damage: Tonnes of driftwood could be seen on the sand at Seaburn Beach in Sunderland this morning after the debris was washed up by the recent stormy weather. The beach was busy with families and dog walkers making structures from the driftwood they had gathered
Unusual: Tonnes of driftwood washed up at Seaburn Beach in Sunderland overnight as Storm Frank approached Britain. Forecasters warn the country's sixth named storm will lash communities with six inches of rain and 80mph winds - amid fears of further flooding and misery
Here it comes: Large waves crash over the harbour wall at Porthcawl, South Wales, as storm Frank hits the UK bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 80mph. The storm will sweep across England, Wales and Scotland today - bringing further misery to flood-ravaged homes
Like a river: Whitesands in Dumfries began to flood this morning after the River Annan bursts its banks following heavy downpours brought by Storm Frank. Forecasters have warned that nearly a month's worth of rain could fall in parts of Scotland today
Overflowing: The River Nith is seen flowing through Whitesands, Dumfries. Scotland and Ireland are currently feeling the effects of Storm Frank which has brought high winds and heavy rain, while western coasts of England are being battered by gale-force winds
Creeping towards properties: Whitesands in Dumfries is beginning to flood this morning after the River Annan bursts its banks overnight
Grim: A children's park lay empty this morning as the River Annan bursts its banks in Whitesands in Dumfries - with flooding imminent
BIKER GANGS STEP IN TO HELP POLICE PATROL FLOODED AREAS AMID OPPORTUNISTIC THIEVES TARGETING VICTIMS
Biker gangs, including The Drifters, Broken Bones, Pyeratz and Nuntaii Mortis, have stepped in to deter looters in the Calderdale region of Yorkshire.
Police said it was 'impossible to comprehend' why the heartless opportunists would want to bring further suffering to those already hit by the crisis and stepped up patrols amid fears looters in white vans were targeting flooded houses.
However, several motorbike clubs also said they wanted to step in and help and - with the blessing of police - have been keeping watch in the area.
Night-time patrols of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd will now be carried out by bikers from Bradford and beyond over the next few days.
Dave Cariss, of The Drifters MCC, said: 'We saw people post on Facebook that they were trying to deter looters, and I thought who better to do that but 20-30 burly bikers.'
On the lookout: Bikers were on patrol in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, overnight after motorbike gangs stepped in to deter looters from targeting flood-hit homes and businesses in the Calderdale Valleys region. It came after a number of flood-hit properties were targeted
On patrol: Night-time patrols of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire were carried out by bikers last night, who came from Bradford and beyond to help, with the blessing of police. They said they hoped to deter the looters who have targeted flooded homes
Firefighters helped police to evacuate residents from a number of regions after the flood waters began to quickly rise late in the morning.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman confirmed that it was providing assistance and helping in the evacuations at Ballater.
A Police Scotland spokesman added: 'We are assisting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with the evacuations in the areas of Anderson Road, Deebank Road and Albert Road in Ballater.'
More than 5,000 people were left without power due to the high winds, with engineers battling the bad weather to restore it.
Some on the west coast of Scotland and in the north had no electricity for more than 12 hours.
A spokesman for SSE said: 'The power cuts are affecting 5,500 customers across Scotland. Most of the faults are around the north-east and the west. All are down to heavy winds due to Storm Frank.
'We have helicopters on stand-by at the moment waiting to assess the damage but because of high winds they can't fly for safety reasons.
'When it's safe to do so engineers are fixing faults. Where winds are really high they can't climb on poles which is hampering attempts to fix faults.
'We are working as hard as we can to fix those faults.'
Yorkshire towns were yesterday still struggling to recover from the weekend's deluge, with many roads still shut.
Meanwhile, late yesterday passengers on nine flights into Belfast airport were temporarily held on planes as high winds of up to 63mph prevented ground crews getting access steps in place. Two other inbound flights from Luton and Tenerife had to be diverted to Dublin, the airport said.
A Belfast International Airport spokesman added: 'The high wind warning lasts until the early hours of Wednesday morning. Some airlines have cancelled flights, so we would ask passengers to please contact their airline for updates.'
Storm approaches: This satellite image from the Nasa Modis instruments Terra and Aqua yesterday shows Storm Frank approaching Britain
A storm is coming: Cars drive through a flooded section of Whitesands in Dumfries as police urged residents to only travel if necessary amid evacuations of homes close to rivers due to the arrival of Storm Frank which could bring up to a month's worth of rain to Scotland
The flooding begins: A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman confirmed that it was providing assistance and help with the evacuations of residents in Ballater this morning, after it was besieged by floodwater brought by Storm Frank (town centre, pictured)
Evacuations: Firefighters have been helping police to rescue residents from a number of properties in Ballater, Scotland, after waters began to quickly rise this morning. Pictured is a main road through Ballater, with cars attempting to drive through the floodwater today
Back to face his critics: Sir Philip Dilley, 60, who earns £100,000 a year for a three-day week as chairman of the Environment Agency, returned to the UK this morning after having spent the past fortnight in the Caribbean, 4,000 miles away from the current flooding in Britain
The arrival of Storm Frank is the latest in a series of devastating weather patterns which have left swathes of Britain underwater. This month has seen:
- Storm Desmond claim the lives of three people after bringing severe gales and heavy rainfall to southern Scotland, the north of England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland when it hit during the first week of December;
- Cumbria and Lancashire were the worst-hit areas, with police declaring a major incident as communities were swamped by rising waters and more than 5,000 homes were flooded;
- Criticism of the government sparked by the failure of multimillion-pound defences built following floods in Cumbria in 2005;
- Two weeks later, on December 23, Storm Eva battered Northern Ireland, Wales, England and parts of Scotland;
- Northern England was again badly-affected, with Storm Desmond-recovering Cumbria and Lancashire bearing the brunt along with West Yorkshire;
- On Boxing Day, residents in West Yorkshire and Lancashire were evacuated from their homes as flooding hit Leeds, Greater Manchester and York;
- The Environment Agency faced criticism after opening a key flood barrier in York, leaving swathes of the city under water;
- Storm Frank arrives on December 30, forecast to bring with it nearly 6in of rain and winds of up to 80mph to the region today;
- Since December began, around 6,700 properties have been damaged, according to the Environment Agency, and insurers are currently facing a bill of up to £1.5billion;
- New estimates suggest the total cost of the floods could be up to £5.8billion;
- There was a growing row over Environment Agency chairman Sir Philip Dilley disappearing to his holiday home in Barbados while the North suffered flooding;
- The owner of a flooded bar in York said it was 'mad' for Britain to spend billions on foreign aid while he was having to 'commute in a dinghy'.
It followed another day of chaos caused by bad weather, particularly in the Yorkshire area.
On Tuesday night, soldiers were sent in to evacuate homes around a storm-battered bridge after it started to collapse, prompting fears of flooding and a possible gas explosion.
A severe flood warning was issued for the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, with the Environment Agency (EA) warning people to leave immediately because of a 'significant risk to life'.
The 18th-century bridge started to collapse into the swollen river at around 5pm, with a crowd gathering as masonry fell into the swirling torrent.
Having difficulty: Planes struggled to land and take off at Edinburgh Airport in the heavy winds of Storm Frank this morning
Precarious: Flights struggle to land at Manchester Airport in 50 knot crosswinds today as Storm Frank moves across Britain
On alerts: There are dozens of flood alerts and warnings in place for England and Wales (left) and weather warnings imposed today (right)
Drama: This graphic shows how storm-force winds, measuring up to 11 on the Beaufort Scale, will hit Britain today as Storm Frank strikes
An EA spokesman said: 'Significant flooding is expected in the Tadcaster area. Those in this area are advised to evacuate immediately.
'The situation is serious and there is a significant risk to life. Please follow the advice of the emergency services and officials in the area.'
People watching ran as a wave headed towards the bank and a strong smell of gas came from pipes left visible in the gaping hole.
Emergency services arrived quickly before soldiers were deployed to evacuate people from homes and helped police set up a 200m cordon, saying it was 'due to fears of a gas explosion'.
Hundreds of residents remain evacuated from their homes today after the 300-year-old bridge collapsed and police cordons remain in place – with around 130 residents still evacuated.
Northern Gas will be checking all premises affected throughout the course of today, before allowing people back into their homes.
Meanwhile, council staff in Kendal, Cumbria, are warning parents that a playground which flooded when a nearby river burst its banks earlier this month could pose dangers for children.
Signs have been posted in the Abbot Hall Play Area, which stands next to the River Kent, warning of 'contaminants'.
South Lakeland District Council is advising parents to make sure children's hands are washed after they leave the playground.
Elsewhere, a woman had an amazing escape when strong winds caused by Storm Frank sent a 20ft tall tree weighing several tons smashing down on her car in Cornwall last night.
It crushed the bonnet and windscreen of her vehicle but miraculously stopped inches short of her as she cowered, uninjured, in the driver's seat.
She was able to crawl from the wreckage and struggled to climb through the maze of broken branches after the incident between Burlawn and Pengelly, near Wadebridge.
Keeping watch: Brandon the dog was spotted watching the heavy rain in Croston, Lancashire, this morning as the community braces for further flooding. The village, south of Preston, has already been hit by flooding over the Christmas period with 500 homes losing power
Clear-up before the storm: Residents in Croston, Lancashire, are being urged to evacuate their homes today amid fears of further flooding. It comes as some are still cleaning-up from the Boxing Day floods which forced thousands to leave their flooded homes and businesses
Collapsed: A garage in Congleton, Cheshire, collapsed in high winds today, leaving a large amount of debris on the road. The council said part of the road had now been closed off as a precaution and a structural engineer will be attending in due course to assess the building
A surfer also had to be rescued after getting into difficulty off the coast of Lynmouth, North Devon.
Conditions were so bad, the local RNLI lifeboat could not reach him so a helicopter had to be called to airlift him out of the water.
Lifeboat helmsman Paul Arnold said: 'Conditions were so rough we had no chance of getting in close to take him off so we had to stand off and mark his position for a helicopter.'
The man, in his 30s, was eventually winched off the rock and into the coastguard rescue helicopter from St Athan, in South Wales.
They flew him to dry land at Lynmouth seafront where he was badly shaken but uninjured.
The EA had earlier warned of the potential for further disruption and significant flooding, especially in Cumbria, while floods minister Rory Stewart said a potentially 'very bad situation' lay ahead.
It came as Sir Philip Dilley, chairman of the EA, faced intense pressure to return from his Caribbean Christmas holiday as residents across the north suffered in widespread flooding.
The under-fire boss landed back in Britain today after sunning himself on holiday in Barbados as Britain battled its worst floods since the 1950s.
Sir Philip, 60, who earns £100,000 a year for a three-day week, looked grim as he walked through Gatwick Airport this morning after his Christmas break ended abruptly.
Storm Frank arrives: Torrents of water were seen rushing down streets in Graignamanagh, Kilkenny, in the Republic of Ireland last night as the UK's sixth named storm swept across the Atlantic and headed for Britain - bringing gale-force 80mph winds and six inches of rainfall
The tanned quango chairman has spent the past fortnight with his wife June at his luxurious gated holiday home, with swimming pool and palm tree-filled grounds, 4,000 miles away from the current flooding.
Asked today if he had a good Christmas, Sir Philip said he will visit flood-damaged Yorkshire today and would be 'very happy to speak' with people when he got there.
He has been ridiculed for going on holiday as the crisis gripped swathes of the UK despite previously telling MPs he would work 'seven days a week' if there was severe flooding.
Analysts estimate the cost of flooding across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire could be up to £5.8billion.
Record breaking rainfall in Cumberland, west Cumbria, saw 310.9mm (12.2in) by December 22, beating the 248.2mm (9.8in) seen in 2006.
Westmorland, east Cumbria, saw 474.4mm (18.7in), beating 365.1mm (14.4in) – also in 2006.
Last night Local Government Association chairman Lord Porter said: 'With more extreme weather arriving, it is clear that some of our badly-affected regions will be tested yet again.
'Council staff continue to work around-the-clock to prepare for further severe storms to ensure the safety of residents, homes and businesses.'
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