Communities across Oxfordshire will be on flood alert during the next few days as the county continues to suffer torrential downpours.

Little chance exists of any respite on the immediate horizon, with successive bands of heavy rain and high winds forecast until early next week - and the very real threat of widespread flooding from daily downpours.

It seemed inevitable that already swollen rivers and streams would burst their banks hours after torrential rain cut a drenching swathe across Oxfordshire yesterday, bringing treacherous driving conditions to both major and minor roads in every region.

But despite the heavy rainfall, which swept up from the south at daybreak, the Environment Agency allayed initial fears by announcing that some river levels - particularly in the Cherwell, north of Oxford, had peaked and actually were falling.

In the Thames, the levels had remained steady but were not yet showing signs of falling. With more rain in the offing, they could continue to rise, they warned.

The Met Office echoed the grim forecast, saying there was unlikely to be any let-up in the rainy weather.

As yesterday's rain poured down, spokesman Colin Donnelly, said: "There are some fairly heavy outbreaks of rain in the system, so we are expecting some very heavy localised downpours as it clears away.

"It's not a settled picture, and there is still more rain to come for the weekend. There's not a let-up in sight."

After the last major floods two years ago, Oxfordshire County Council held talks to see what could be done to prevent similar crises in the future.

But the main responsibility for future flood prevention falls to the Environment Agency, while the county is left to prepare to cope with any emergency should it occur.

As Oxfordshire's emergency planning officer, John Kelly, explained: "Since 1998, flood prevention work has been carried out around the county, and from our point of view, measures are in place as far as they can be. We are more concerned with the people side of the issue, such as the aftermath of a fire, a bomb or traffic accident.

"But we also get the flood warnings when they are issued and monitor them to make sure our highways people are up to speed.

"Our plans are always ready to evacuate people on any night of the year. We're working normal hours at the moment, but we are constantly on the alert and ready to do what is necessary to cope with anything that arises.

"But as far as mitigating the floods, there is nothing the county council or the emergency planning committee can do."