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HUNDREDS of Brits have been forced to flee their homes as rivers including the Thames burst their banks amid flood chaos.

Storm Henk has now claimed two lives after a man and woman were killed in separate smashes on Tuesday and thousands of homes have been flooded.

The news of the woman's tragic death was revealed on Thursday afternoon, as floodwaters continued to rise and the Met Office warned more rain was on the way.

The horror crash happened on Tuesday as 94mph winds were ripping through the UK.

On Friday afternoon, 260 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, remained in place across England, while almost 280 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, were also in place.

The Environment Agency said more than 1,000 homes had been evacuated amid Storm Henk.

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It came after a London party boat sank just after midday on Thursday.

The Bar & Co boat, which acts as a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub, sank into the River Thames - with everyone on board luckily escaping.

A spokesperson for the boat, which was moored at Temple Pier said: "Likely it sunk because of weather conditions."

Were you on the party boat or impacted by Storm Henk? Email jane.matthews@news.co.uk or call 020 7782 4100

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On Friday morning crews were seen assessing the remains of the vessel in the Thames.

In the hours that followed, floodwaters could be seen rising around riverside homes in Henley-on-Thames.

On Thursday night fire crews were rushed to the capital's Hackney Wick after floodwaters rose.

Shocking photos showed submerged cars, while locals could be seen wading through the brown water.

Elsewhere, swollen rivers overflowed into paddocks and gardens in Cambridgeshire, while a narrowboat was seen on its side in Barrow on Soar.

A cold warning is also now in place for much of the UK, with fears it could increase the chances of death.

It comes as Brits were warned of travel chaos, with train companies servicing parts of the country warning of delays and cancellations.

What train services are hit?

Great Western Railway warned that several lines remained closed on Friday morning due to flooding, including between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Reading and Castle Cary, and Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall.

The company said there is "significant disruption" to its services.

It said: "We're experiencing significant disruption on the network. Please check before you travel.

"Flooding and a serious incident near Reading last night, which involved police taking control of the line, has left trains and crew in the wrong place. We're sorry for the disruption customers experienced.

"Short-notice cancellations and a reduced level of service on long-distance routes are expected throughout the day."

Flooding has closed the railway between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, between Reading and Castle Cary, and between Liskeard and Looe.

South Western Railway services are disrupted across its entire network, with major issues on its west of England routes.

The company said: "Whilst we expect water levels to drop and most of the network to reopen today, South Western Railway will not be able to operate services between Yeovil Junction and Exeter because of a landslip near Crewkerne.

"A precarious tree is also causing disruption to journeys between Ash and Wanborough.

"Services may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised until 10.30am.

"Disruption to the rest of the network is expected to last throughout today due to displaced trains and crews.

"South Western Railway urges everyone to check before they travel to see whether their train is running as planned."

A landslip at Arlesey in Bedfordshire was also affecting Thameslink services.

It comes as cops slammed "imbeciles" moving flooding signs in Leicestershire - where more than 40 roads remained closed on Friday morning.

Police said they snapped people on CCTV jumping from their cars to shift the signs, before driving on.

The force said: "This is the height of stupidity - these signs are put there for a purpose.

"They warn drivers the road ahead is flooded and may be impassable and dangerous."

The Met Office has warned Friday will again be wet for much of the country.

Forecasters said: "Rather cloudy in southeast England with rain and drizzle at times. Rain for northeastern Scotland and England.

"Elsewhere a largely dry day with bright or sunny spells, still with some heavy coastal showers. Feeling a little cooler."

It said Saturday would likely still be damp - but more showers than downpours.

The Met Office wrote: "High pressure builds through Saturday with showers becoming less frequent and lighter.

"Still rather cloudy in eastern parts. Feeling cold."

It came after were warned not to travel after the weather caused chaos on roads and rail.

On Thursday, residents were evacuated from homes after flooding in Nottinghamshire led to a major incident being declared.

They were forced to flee after the River Trent rose to near-record levels, with Nottinghamshire County Council warning homeowners to take care.

Councillor Roger Upton said he had never seen flooding this bad since he shifted to the area in the 1970s.

He said: "I've lived in Radcliffe since 1975, and I've regularly come down here over the years and seen various floodings.

"It was bad in 1977, and it was bad in 2000, and in my opinion, this is the worst I've seen in those years."

Residents were urged not to travel through floodwater, to stay away from swollen waterways, and to prepare for the event of evacuation, with multiple roads closed in the county.

It came as several homes on the river's edge had started to flood, with electricity quickly shut off.

Resident Ellen Walker said: "The saddest part about it is, you know they are suffering, but there's nothing you can do.

"If the flood comes in, it's going to come in and there's no way anybody can stop it.

"It's nature but then again, they should not have been built there."

Elsewhere, a dad yesterday told The Sun how he and his family were forced upstairs with their seven-month-old baby as floodwaters lapped at their door.

Jacob Davidge, 27, said he, his wife Shompa, their baby Isaiah and family watched on in fear as the water continued rising at their Loughborough home in the middle of the night.

The dad said they frantically moved their possessions from the bottom story of their home, to the top, in the hopes of saving them.

Jacob said even today, almost two days on, the family is still waiting for the floodwaters to leave the home.

He told The Sun: "We were grabbing everything and anything really.

"At 3am it was at our knees. We weren't sure the height the water would reach.

"It was quite hard to gauge - we ended up using the letterbox as a gauge."

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Jacob, who is trying to raise money through GoFundMe to replace the lost possessions, added: "It's bittersweet. Everyone's devastated that the home's ruined.

"Also, we're lucky we're safe and OK."

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