Scores of homes and businesses were evacuated yesterday and road and rail services plunged into mayhem by the effects of heavy rain.

Leeds city centre was one of the places worst affected, with a number of roads around Crown Point Bridge left under two feet of water after the River Aire burst its banks at about 4pm.
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Tuesday's levels on the Aire in Leeds remained 1.48m (4.8ft) above normal. Last night the river peaked at 2.19m (7.1ft).

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency urged people to stay vigilant, amid forecasts of further unsettled weather over the next few days.

She told the YEP: "They must keep an eye on the forecast and the latest news bulletins.

"We remain on full alert right across the region."

A severe flood warning issued for the Aire in Leeds city centre was removed on Tuesday morning.

Warnings were still in effect, though, for the Aire at Stourton, Mickletown, Allerton Ings and Kirkstall Road's Cardigan Trading Estate.

The floods were also continuing to cause widespread travel disruption.

Northern Rail and TransPennine Express urged passengers to make journeys only where absolutely necessary.

Suspended services included Leeds-Shipley, Leeds-Ilkley, Leeds-Huddersfield, Leeds-Hebden Bridge via Dewsbury and Bradford-Wakefield.

Roads reported to be unpassable included the B6135 Bradford Road in Drighlington, the A660 in Burley in Wharfedale and Lock Lane in Castleford.

Freezing overnight temperatures added to the problems for drivers, with icy conditions reported across much of the county.

However, the A58 Wetherby Road and the A61 Hunslet Road - parts of which were closed in Leeds on Monday - were open again.

The three roads shut after the Aire burst its banks - Marsh Lane, Neptune Street and East Street - were also open again.
There were chaotic scenes at Leeds City Station on Monday night.

Huge queues built up as hundreds of workers poured into the station to find their trains had been cancelled and replaced by bus services.

Pensions adviser Louise Clough, who was trying to get home to Shipley, was among them.

She said: "Apart from the fact that it's frustrating train companies can't cope with our weather, the lack of organisation is terrible."

Hotel rooms across the city were booked up by stranded commuters.

Roads in the heart of Leeds were gridlocked, with some motorists taking up to an hour and a half to drive across the city centre.

At one point council bosses temporarily opened Leeds Town Hall as an emergency centre for those unable to get home.

The city's Royal Armouries museum was also evacuated.

A council spokeswoman said around 170 highways staff had been taken off their regular duties to concentrate on the flooding.

Sandbags had been distributed to properties most in danger, she added.

West Yorkshire Fire Service said it had received around 180 flood-related calls from 8.30am on Monday.
Areas in Leeds where problems were reported included Garforth, Swillington and Wetherby.

Firefighters also battled for three hours in Hawksworth to stop water flooding an electricity sub-station which supplies power to a static caravan park on Mill Lane.

Mirfield, Silsden, Brighouse and Elland were among the places badly hit in the rest of the county.

Sandy Lane Primary School was evacuated this morning after Cottingley Beck in Bradford burst its banks.

Last summer floods caused tens of millions of pounds worth of damage across Yorkshire.

Plans have been unveiled for an £80m defence scheme in Leeds, but it is unlikely to be completed before 2010.