Much of England and Wales is in danger of further flooding despite a let-up in the long spell of stormy weather, Prime Minister David Cameron has warned.
He said problems were likely to get worse as the volume of rain over recent weeks meant groundwater levels would keep rising in many places.
Scores of flood warnings and alerts are still in force.
Engineers have been working through the night to restore power to thousands of homes cut off after the storms.
Speaking after a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Saturday evening, Mr Cameron said: "Thankfully, it does appear that we will see less rain and wind over the next few days.
"However, after so much rain over recent weeks groundwater levels remain very high and in many places will continue to rise."
About 30,000 homes are still without power, according to the Energy Networks Association - after almost one million properties were cut off over the last week.
The association's Tim Field warned on Saturday night that some homes would still be without power on Sunday. The association said it would give an update on the situation at 09:30 GMT.
Other developments include:
- Network Rail said that 150 trees had fallen this weekend in the most recent storms
- Track at Dawlish, Devon, has suffered yet more damage with the erosion of the sea wall by a further 10 metres - passengers in the area are advised not to travel
- The Met Office has a yellow severe weather warning - meaning "be aware" - for ice for most of the UK until 10:00 GMT
- First Great Western services say they are running a "near normal service" in the London Paddington and Oxford areas
- 60,000 sand bags have been distributed in Surrey, say police
- South Eastern trains said that although all routes were open, services were "still subject to delay and cancellation"
- Signalling problems caused by flooding near Preston Park are causing delays of up to 15 minutes between Haywards Heath and Brighton
- A landslip at Oxted, Surrey, is still causing disruption, and the line is not expected to re-open until Tuesday 18 February
'Lines brought down'
Energy minister Michael Fallon told the BBC: "The agencies are working together now very closely which I think really is the key to it, the military, the police, the local councils and the power companies all doing their best to get to these sites.
"Sometimes there's water getting into some of the sub stations, more often it is simply lines brought down by the very, very strong winds."
He added: "We have not been sitting around in Whitehall agonising over the current state of climate change, we have been dealing with the problems that people are facing at the moment.
"Making sure there are enough troops, there are enough power company workers, there are enough sandbags, making sure people have the help they need.
"There will certainly be time after this to look and see how we can better protect people."
BBC weather presenter Susan Powell said after sunshine and light winds on Sunday, next week would be unsettled with further spells of rain but not as stormy as recently.
The Environment Agency has 16 severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - in south-east and south-west England
'Remain vigilant'
The agency said the Thames Barrier had been closed for a record 16th consecutive time to help lower river levels.
Chief executive Paul Leinster said: "We continue to see the very real and devastating impacts that flooding can have on communities and business.
"Despite an improving forecast the risk of flooding will continue for many communities in southern parts of England over the next few days.
"We ask people to remain vigilant and take action where necessary."
Howard Davidson from the agency added: "We are still closing the Thames Barrier to keep the tide out of west London which helps alleviate the situation.
"The barrier was built in 1980 and 25% of all closures have been in the last two months, which I think is a staggering fact."
In an interview with the Observer, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the events of recent weeks showed climate change was a "national security issue" for the UK.
He said Labour had warned climate change could destabilise "entire regions of the world" and now Britain's homes, businesses and livelihoods were "under attack".
"The science is clear. The public know there is a problem. But, because of political division in Westminster, we are sleepwalking into a national security crisis on climate change," he said.
And emergency planning specialist Mike Granatt agreed, telling the BBC that the floods would be a "wake-up call".
He said the extreme weather conditions would "heighten the importance of emergency planning and emergency response".
Two people were killed after high winds and heavy rain hit southern England on Friday.
Mother-of-three Julie Sillitoe, 49, from north London, died when falling masonry hit her taxi near Holborn Underground station in central London.
An 85-year-old man was killed after waves crashed through a window of the cruise ship MS Marco Polo in the English Channel as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.
He and a woman in her 70s had been airlifted off the vessel but the man later died.
A third storm victim, Bob Thomas, 77, died in hospital on Friday two days after he was hit by a falling tree in his garden in Caernarfon, north-west Wales.
Meanwhile, a firefighter based in Staines, Surrey, which has been badly hit by floods, has died on duty.
Clifford Cox died at the fire station on Saturday night. It is understood he suffered a heart attack.
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