DRIVERS were warned today not to travel over flooded roads because of the risk it would force the high water into nearby houses.

The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for Naburn Lock yesterday, and it was the only warning still in place across the country today.

A spokesman said: "That is because the River Ouse does take a long time to recede when it is in flood."

There was also a "flood watch" alert in place for the River Ouse and tributaries from Naburn Lock to the River Derwent confluence today.

The flood water forced the closure of the main road through Elvington for a time over the weekend.

An agency spokesman said the water levels of the flooded River Ouse through York peaked at 3.3 metres above average yesterday lunchtime in a spate of heavy rain showers.

During the floods of 2000, the water level was 5.5 metres above average.

Levels dropped to 3.1 metres later in the day yesterday.

Meanwhile, in Greater London and the south, millions of people were learning to live with a hosepipe ban today amid claims that the measures could have been avoided.

Restrictions were being brought into force by Thames Water and Three Valleys Water - which together supply around 11 million residents.

But the GMB union said the bans, implemented because of low rainfall would not have been necessary if more reservoirs had been built in good time.

Updated: 09:27 Monday, April 03, 2006