A man removes items from his home after flooding in Tonbridge, southern England (Picture: Reuters)

David Cameron has urged councils to put ‘robust plans’ in place to cope with more bad weather and further flooding over the weekend and into the new year.

The prime minister spoke out as a fresh alert was issued by the Met Office for high winds and heavy rain in the run up to New Year’s Eve celebrations.

After being confronted by an angry flood victim in Kent yesterday, Mr Cameron this afternoon tweeted: ‘I’ve asked the Dept for Communities & Local Govt to ensure councils have robust plans in case of bad weather and flooding over New Year.’



A Downing Street spokesman added: ‘Crucially the government is pushing councils to have a clear plan for if they face flooding over the new year.


‘The Environment Agency, the cabinet office and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working together to ensure councils are best prepared for further bad weather and will be contacting councils to make sure they are going to be manned over New Year to help people.’

A car drives through a flooded road in Wateringbury in Kent after the Christmas storms (Picture: AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Thousands of homes are still without power after Christmas storms swept through Britain causing widespread damage and flooding.

A fresh band of heavy rain is expected to move across parts of Britain on Sunday night and Monday, raising the risk of further flooding in parts of the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, with forecasters warning the unsettled weather looks likely to continue into the new year.

David Cameron talks with a resident in a flooded home in the village of Yalding in Kent during a visit after storms caused flooding (Picture: AFP PHOTO / POOL / BEN STANSALL BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)