The Westcountry is to bear the brunt of yet another blast of wet and windy weather with forecasters predicting flooding in places where the ground is already saturated.
The Exeter-based Met Office yesterday issued amber warnings for parts of Devon and Cornwall as heavy rain was expected to sweep in this morning.
There will be a brief respite, before a further pulse of torrential downpours push in across the region.
Michael Lawrence, forecaster for the Met Office, said it looked pretty grim.
"The main focus is the rain," he said.
"It's not so much the amount but the fact that it is falling on already saturated ground.
"It could cause some flooding and some disruption."
The rain is likely to be accompanied by blustery winds, particularly in coastal areas.
The outlook for the rest of the week isn't much better, said Mr Lawrence, with prolonged heavy rain expected on Thursday.
There may be a brief lull on Friday, he said, but Saturday was expected to see further rainfall prompting the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for the day.
The Environment Agency yesterday issued four flood warnings for the UK, meaning flooding is expected, with three of them in the South West, including one for the already sodden ground of the Somerset Levels.
There were meanwhile 42 flood alerts for the UK, some 22 of which were centred on the South West.
Cornwall Council urged residents to be prepared for another swathe of awful weather.
A spokeswoman said those with homes at risk of flooding should stock up on supplies of sandbags which can be obtained from builders' merchants.
She said that anyone with responsibility for community Christmas lights and decorations should ensure they were properly secured against strong winds.
If the weather continues to deteriorate, the spokeswoman said turning off Christmas lights should be considered.
"We would also advise checking for any damp or damage before turning them back on," she said.
"Any problems should be dealt with by a qualified electrician."
Transport continues to be disrupted across the region. Skybus flights from Land's End Airport to the Scilly Isles are to be transferred to Newquay Cornwall Airport from today up to an including Christmas Eve because of a waterlogged runway.
