Storm surge lower than feared

Coastal areas of Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent and Essex were warned of "extreme danger to life and property" and hundreds of people were evacuated over night from high-risk places.

The water was due to peak before 8am but few breaches of sea defences were reported.

Norfolk Police reported that water breached the flood defences in the centre of Great Yarmouth, with South Quay closed to traffic around the Town Hall.

But they said: "At this time the flooding does not present a risk to persons or property."

Residents of the nearby village of Dunwich also said there was flooding in the area.

Meanwhile, surfers took advantage of the high tide by riding the waves on a beach at Gorleston, Norfolk.

The Environment Agency said: "The public has reported some minor roads flooded and some areas around Oulton Broad. This is thought to be related to the fact that there was effectively no low tide."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown chaired a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee at 6am this morning.

It was the second such meeting attended by ministers in less than 12 hours.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said everything that could be done had been and warned defences might still be breached despite the slightly lower surge predictions. He was unable to say when a full "all-clear" would be sounded.

He said: "I want to thank all of the people who have been working unbelievably hard overnight to look after those people who have been evacuated from their homes.

"I know that people will be very, very anxious to know that everything that can be done to protect and prepare has been done and we are just going to wait and see what nature does."

The Environment Agency maintained eight severe flood warnings, 15 standard flood warnings and 25 further flood watch alerts nationwide - concentrated in East Anglia, the North East region and on the south coast.

Justifying the Government reaction, Mr Benn said: "A severe flood warning says that there is a risk to life and to property and the right thing to do in those circumstances is to tell people and to prepare.

"You only have to think about what people would say if we hadn't taken all the precautions that we have and, in fact, if the storm surge overtopped the defences.

"We may still see that and there probably will be some flooding. We don't yet know what the extent of it will be, but this is the right thing to do.

"When you get a warning of potential severe flooding, this is what we should do and that's why we've acted in this way and I'm sure people will recognise it was the right thing to do."

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