A dozen elderly people had to be rescued from their homes today, as floods struck the region with a vengeance once again.

The Environment Agency placed dozens of flood warnings on rivers throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire, as waters continued to rise.

Firefighters were called to help evacuate people from their homes and holiday chalets at a caravan park on York Road, Knaresborough, just after 1pm.

Four residents of the park ended up being taken by police to the town's King James's School because they had no other accommodation, while another eight were collected by family and friends.

Bruce Reid, sub-officer in charge of Knaresborough fire station, said water levels on the River Nidd had been rising steadily for days.

"The river eventually burst its bank and flooded the caravan park. The people there said they thought it would get to a point and start subsiding, but unfortunately it didn't - it got worse," he said.

North Yorkshire was on alert throughout the day, with flood warnings in place in the centre of York, on the River Skell at Ripon, the River Ure at Masham and the Nidd at Pateley Bridge.

Residents of Kirby Wiske and the Brompton-on-Swale caravan park, near Richmond, were also warned to be on their guard.

Elsewhere in the country the Environment Agency said two severe flood warnings were in place on the River Wharfe, affecting the West Yorkshire towns of Ilkley and Otley.

A total of 49 other flood warnings were also issued across West and North Yorkshire, including areas surrounding the rivers Aire, Calder, Ouse, Swale, Ure and Worth.

A spokeswoman for the agency said the River Wharfe had risen to about 3m above its normal level in the Ilkley and Otley areas.

Although further rain is expected today, weather forecasters predicted a "much improved" outlook for the rest of the week.

A Press Association WeatherCentre spokesman added: "There will be some patchy rain tomorrow but it will be pushing down south. "From Tuesday it will be much drier and brighter as high pressure moves in."