Those affected by flooding should be given support to deal with the mental health impacts “as quickly as possible”, a shadow environment minister has argued.

In the Commons, Dr Neil Hudson said: “We must not underestimate the mental health impacts that flooding has on communities, both in terms of the anxiety of being flooded, but also the trauma when flooding does hit.

“It is essential that practical support is provided as quickly as possible and remains in place after the waters have subsided, and the blue lights have departed.”

He added: “The Conservatives ring-fenced £100 million to help communities threatened by repeated flooding, can the minister commit to that funding, and will those affected by flooding again in this latest period of bad weather be eligible to apply?”

Environment minister Emma Hardy said she shared Dr Hudson’s concern about the mental health impact of flooding, adding: “We’re going to look at (the) flood funding formula in a whole and look at how it all works.”

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Ireland are without water and electricity amid a bitter cold snap on the island.

The severe winter weather has led to the closure of some schools and some public transport restrictions as well as the cancellation of several healthcare services.

There are treacherous road conditions across the Republic of Ireland, with broad sections of the island experiencing below-zero temperatures.

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The Met Office has warned that heavy wintery showers are expected overnight in Northern Ireland, Wales and southwest England, with the chance of snow.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said: “Hail, sleet or snow showers are expected to affect parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, spreading to Wales and parts of northwest England this evening, before moving into part of southwest England, the Midlands and southern England during the early hours of Tuesday. Rain or hail is more likely towards some western coasts.

“Icy stretches which develop overnight as a result of these showers, or the recent wet conditions, could bring some disruption to travel.

“In addition to the ice, we could see snow accumulations of a few cm above 200 metres, with a chance of greater than 5 cm above 200 metres in Wales. The heaviest snow showers may also produce temporary accumulations of 0-2 cm at low levels. It is not possible to say exactly where this snow might fall, so it’s important that people are prepared.”

Northern Powergrid said more than 27,000 homes across Yorkshire and the North of England had lost power during the cold snap, with 100 customers still without power by Monday lunchtime.

Elsewhere, National Resources Wales had 16 flood alerts and one flood warning in place, while the Met Office warned that snow and ice was set to cause more disruption in large parts of Scotland.

Sunday night was the UK’s coldest of the winter so far, with a temperature of minus 13.3C recorded in Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, between Ullapool and Inverness.

Hundreds of schools were closed on Monday, in areas including Lancashire, Yorkshire and north-east Scotland.

The Met Office advised people to be “prepared” for snow.

Environment minister Emma Hardy said the Government intends to refresh its approach to funding flood defences and bring in a new approach in 2026.

She told the Commons: “Flood defence integrity is at its lowest since 2009/10, with approximately 60,000 properties less well protected than if flood defences were at an optimal condition. This is why we’re investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.”

She added: “To make the most of our flood forming, we’ll be refreshing our approach to funding flood defences, including a review of the existing flood funding formula … to ensure the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are taken into account when delivering flood protection.

“We were going to consult on this new approach in the new year, and of course, I’ll inform all members when that consultation is live, and we aim to bring the approach in from April 2026.”

Police have asked for help in identifying a body found in flood water. North Yorkshire Police said the body was recovered earlier on Monday from an area of flooding near Intake Lane in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.

Officers have made inquiries locally and with neighbouring forces in Humberside and West Yorkshire but have been unable to identify the man, who was found without any personal belongings.

He was white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.

He wore brown walking boots, blue jeans with a brown belt, a multi-coloured knitted jumper with a zip and hood and a waterproof coat which was possibly dark green.

The man was believed to have entered the water on Saturday or Sunday.

In a post shared on social media, the force said: “Does this description match someone you know who could be missing? Do you have CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage from the area, or any information that could help us piece together what happened?”

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 17 people were rescued by crews and the control room received more than 200 calls on Monday morning as a major incident was declared.

Judi Beresford, Assistant Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: “Flooding poses a serious risk to lives and property, and we urge everyone to take these warnings seriously.

“Our control room and crews are working tirelessly to assist those in need and to keep people safe.

“We are working with our partners to reduce the impact of this major incident and ask the public to avoid flooded routes when travelling and never to enter floodwater.”

Environment minister Emma Hardy told the Commons that “flooding is a personal priority” for her, after fresh weather warnings were issued across large parts of the UK on Monday.

In a statement, Ms Hardy said that as of Monday the Environment Agency’s areas of most concern are the Midlands, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with a major incident declared in Leicestershire.

She added: “The EA (Environment Agency) are continuing to respond in affected areas, including in the Midlands, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Birmingham, Nuneaton, Loughborough and the river Trent, Avon, and Idle.

“The Environment Agency are reporting at least 350 properties have flooded, and over 21,000 properties protected since New Year’s Eve. Over the next 24 to 36 hours, as water moves to the lower reaches and slower responding catchments, there will likely be some localised flooding across multiple smaller areas.

“Climate change will inevitably lead to more severe weather of the kind you have seen this weekend, but I want to reassure the House that flooding is a personal priority for me and one of our top five priorities in Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Major incidents have been declared in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire due to severe flooding.

“My thoughts are with all those affected and my thanks to responders working hard to keep communities safe.

“Anyone in these areas should follow advice from the emergency services.”