WORRIED home owners and business people in many parts of the county were gritting their teeth today as floods threatened to cause untold havoc.

The spotlight fell particularly on Yalding - at the confluence of three rivers - where a number of roads in the area were flooded and impassable, although no homes have yet had to be evacuated.

Yalding, five miles from Maidstone, is one of the country's most deluge-prone villages. Police today strongly advised motorists to keep away from the village.

Firefighters at Tonbridge have received well over 120 distress calls from residents whose premises have been seriously flooded or threatened by approaching rising water.

Properties in Hadlow Road, Tonbridge, were badly affected and at Five Oak Green, firefighters spent four hours pumping out the Kings Head pub and neighbouring cottages.

At neaby Hadlow, the Harrow pub and surrounding houses all suffered badly and flood water had to be pumped half a mile away to make sure that it could not return.

Station Commander Greg Theophanides said: "We had a number of calls from motorists who had attempted to drive through water and had become trapped. It was really very foolish of one or two drivers because the water was at levels as high as their windows."

Elsewhere, police reported that Brishing Lane at Boughton Monchelsea, Vicarage Lane at East Farleigh and Haviker Street, near Yalding, were impassable. Roads were also flooded but passable with care at Ware Street, Bearsted; Chart Hill Road in Staplehurst; Hawkenbury Bridge, near Headcorn; and at the Leeds Castle roundabout on the A20 Ashford Road.

Other roads affected included Plough Wents Road at Chart Sutton, Lower Road, East Farleigh, and Vicarage Road and West Street, between Hunton and Yalding.

Maidstone Borough Council's highway's manager, Steve Goulette, appealed to motorists to slow down. Driving too fast along flooded roads could create a bow-wave that would flood neighbouring properties.

He said: "Even if you think it is safe to drive, please make sure you don't cause a problem for someone else by driving too fast."

Much of the localised flooding has been caused by blocked surface water drains and run-off from fields, but flood warnings remain in force on the Rivers Beult, Medway, Teise, Lower Teise and the Aylesford Stream.

Sandbags have been issued as a precaution to a number of residents in Otham, Boughton Monchelsea, Lenham, Nettlestead, Leeds, Headcorn, Egerton and Eyhorne Street. Any requests for sandbags in the Maidstone area should be made to 01622 602000.

Although it had stopped raining this morning rivers were still rising and the Environment Agency predicts the peak period will be between 11am and noon. More rain is expected tomorrow.

Canterbury City Council set up its emergency room on Monday afternoon and their contractors started delivering sandbags to vulnerable properties.

The problems were caused by surface water pouring off the fields during the downpour. Rivers were swollen and were threatening to burst their banks.

The Environment Agency said the weather over the next few days was crucial in determining the extent of the flooding.

Flooding blackspots, including the Sainsburys car park at Canterbury, Stone Street, Stelling Minnis, and Nargate Street, Littlebourne, were under water.

Residents in Molehill Road, Chestfield, Faversham Road, Seasalter, and at Greenhill, Herne Bay, were forced to use sandbags to protect their homes.

But, according to Petham farmer and weather watcher Tom Castle, the total rainfall in the last year is still well below the level recorded during the notorious winter of 1999 and 2000. In 2002, he measured 36 inches of rainfall, compared to 47 inches in 2000.

He said: “It is not quite in the same league, but we still have January, February and March to come, which are traditionally wet months.”

Canterbury council engineering manager Ted Edwards said: “We set up our emergency room at 2pm on Monday to deal with calls. The main rivers are OK, but the heavy rain has caused flash floods across the district. A lot of roads, especially in the rural areas, are badly flooded.

“But a lot of work has been done in the last year in clearing drains, ditches and dykes, which will help.”

The Nailbourne stream - the source of so much damage two years ago - is not yet flowing, although the Stour is quite high.

The Swale catchment, which includes Herne Bay and Whitstable, and the River Stour were on Flood Watch - the lowest of the three flood warning levels - at the beginning of this week.

Environment Agency spokesman Ray Kemp said: “We are advising people to be aware of the new flood warnings system and procedures for ensuring their property is as safe as possible if things gets worse.

“They should also stay away from swollen rivers, which are fast flowing and dangerous.”

Further information from the Environment Agency's Floodline on 0845 988 1188.