IT'S an all too familiar sight - vast pools of water in our streets, gardens, shops and schools.

And the bad news is it's not going to get much better any time soon.

Torrential rain brought more misery to York, North and East Yorkshire, only ten days after a ferocious deluge which deposited nearly a week's worth of rain in only half an hour.

Although yesterday's downpour wasn't nearly so violent, it still caused its share of chaos.

Infants at Clifton With Rawcliffe School had to be sent home after the school's Rawcliffe site was flooded.

Water backed up and swept through the building - located at one of the lowest points in Rawcliffe - forcing it to close until Wednesday at the earliest.

Clean-up teams were due into the school today to deal with the mess.

Head teacher Chris Wigley said: "We have got a sunken hall - not exactly the best design in an area with a high water table - and water flooded it, as well as the kitchens and the ICT suite."

Mr Wigley said a blocked drain nearby may have been to blame, with an "enormous ball of fat" causing problems.

Meanwhile, the "Room 18" computer suite at York's Central Library had to be evacuated after a damp patch appeared on the ceiling.

A council spokeswoman said the room had been emptied so the source of the problem could be identified.

In the centre of York, leaking water forced Jessops in Piccadilly to close all day - although shops which suffered ten days ago, including Barnitts hardware store in Colliergate, were open for business as usual.

In Cosmo Avenue, in Heworth, residents were confronted with a 4in deep lake in the street. Resident Magz Longley, 46, has lived there all her life. She said the flooding was "the worst I have ever seen".

Flooding in the North Moor Estate in Huntington "stranded" some residents inside their own homes.

"My house is an island," said Charles Everett, who was unable to leave without wellies. Three sides of his semi-detached house were surrounded by up to 3ins of water.

Flood water brought chaos to rush-hour traffic in Water Lane, York, which was partially blocked between Burdike Avenue and Kingsway North yesterday afternoon.

A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Water said an inspector would visit the area today and the water would probably be pumped away and gullies cleared.

A rescue boat and two fire engines were called after a 35ft boat got stuck on the River Ouse at 7.30pm last night.

A fire spokeswoman said: "The owner had trouble mooring the boat because of the sheer amount of water so our crews helped with roping it in to the side."

Steve Wragg, of the Environment Agency, said the river had reached 9ft at Ousebridge. But even with predicted rainfall this evening waters are expected to remain below the 11ft 3ins flood level.Problems were not confined to York.

In Bolton Percy, near Tadcaster, former museum conservator Alan Ridsdill, 75, reported a "lake" of water at the bottom of his garden.

He said: "It's terrible. I got flooded out in 2000, and I have had problems for years.

"At one stage water was rising by the hour."

Forecasters said between 6am on Sunday and lunchtime on Monday, about 27mm of rain fell - around a fortnight's worth.

An expert at PA Weather Centre said: "There is more rain coming for Wednesday morning, which will get heavier as the week goes on."

However, all is not lost. He added: "Happily, the weekend should dry up a bit."

Flood-prone Ryedale didn't escape the deluge either. Press reader John Thompson, of Claxton, took a photo of the village's main street at 2.30pm yesterday - with 150 yards of road covered by up to 9in of floodwater.

Updated: 08:47 Tuesday, May 23, 2006