Severe flood warnings on Waveney, Yare

The Environment Agency has tonight issued a severe flood warning on the tidal Waveney below Ellingham and the Yare below Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, as the East Coast prepared itself fo the worst floods in more than half a century.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is chairing a meeting of the Government's COBRA emergency committee as the Environment Agency warned of "extreme danger to life and property" in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, while part of Kent, East Yorkshire and :incolnshire are also under flood alert.

Earlier, Environment Minister Hilary Benn told MPs: "A tidal surge of up to 3m [10ft] is making its way down the North Sea which could coincide with peak high tides.

"There is a risk of flood defences being over-topped on the coast and in tidal rivers, especially in East Anglia, particularly the Norfolk Broads and the coast south of Great Yarmouth including Lowestoft, and areas south of this as far as the coast of Kent."

Experts said the surge was almost as high as the one which caused the 1953 floods in which more than 300 people died.

It is caused by a combination of north-westerly gales, low air pressure and high tides. Homes are being evacuated tonight in areas which are expected to be worst-hit.

High tide is expected around 7am in Norfolk.

Broadland flood warnings - 5pm update

Pike anglers fishing the tidal rivers and broads of Norfolk and Suffolk are being urged to take extreme care on Friday and over the weekend, after the Environment Agency issued Severe Flood Warnings for much of the East Coast.

High winds and a low pressure system are expected to create a tidal surge which could see localised flooding from Wells-next-Sea in North Norfolk to Essex and the Thames Estuary.

The most severe flooding is expected around Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and parts of the Broads.

If the forecast surge materialises, rivers could rise higher than normal on Friday's flood tide - which is expected to peak around 7 - 8am. As the tide turns and ebbs later in the morning, rivers could be subject to heavier flows than normal.

Flood watch warnings are tonight in place on the rivers Yare, Waveney, Ant, Bure and Thurne, along with parts of the Fens including the tidal Ouse.

The Environment Agency said the expected storm surge building in the North Sea was just 30cm (around a foot...) lower than that which caused the floods of 1953 - Britain's greatest natural disaster, which killed more than 300.

EA Flood Watch

BBC report

1953 floods - special report