The military were being drafted in to the Somerset Levels last night – as forecasters warned of further torrential downpours.
Royal Marines were to assist with defences in the flood-hit region, which has been told to expect between 30mm and 40mm of rainfall by this morning.
Severe weather alerts were put in place for southern England and Wales.
Residents were evacuated from Northmoor, Fordgate and Saltmoor on the Levels, with many set to spend the night in an emergency rest centre in Bridgwater.
An MoD spokesman said: “We can confirm that around 40 Royal Marines from 40 Commando based in Taunton have been deployed to affected areas to provide general flooding assistance. This assistance will support a range of tasks, including sandbagging and moving householders’ property to higher levels.”
Across the country, 75 flood warnings, requiring “immediate action” have been issued, with a further 257 flood alerts in place.
The Met Office confirmed it has been the wettest December and January combined for more than 100 years, with rain falling on 23 out of 31 days in January across the UK.
Met Office spokeswoman Laura Young warned there is no reprieve in sight, with more rain set to batter the UK in coming days.
The weather should abate this morning, before the UK is “engulfed” by heavy rain overnight on Friday, she said. Severe winds are expected across the UK on Saturday, with some areas of exposed coastline potentially seeing gusts of wind of more than 80mph.
Around 5,000 properties have been affected by flooding across the country, including 40 in Somerset.
A huge pumping operation is still taking place on the Somerset Levels, with up to 2.9million tonnes of water being pumped off the Levels every day – the equivalent to three Wembley Stadiums.