York was on a knife-edge tonight as the city's flood defences faced their toughest test following the continuing deluge.

The Environment Agency predicted the Ouse would peak tomorrow afternoon as high as early last Saturday, and then remain at its peak for 12 hours.

And the agency was concerned that some of its earth-based flood defences may have been saturated and weakened. "This has gone on for days and days. It's a question of how weak they are now getting, and how long they can stay in place," said a spokesman.

"This is the severest test the flood defences of Yorkshire have ever had. We are in the lap of the gods."

The agency said 30mms of rain had fallen, so far with another 30 mms expected in the next 24 hours.

The Nidd, which feeds the Ouse, was rising rapidly today at Pateley Bridge.

City of York Council said at least 350 homes had been flooded in York so far - 170 in Rawcliffe, 71 in Bishopthorpe, 54 in Fulford, 47 in Naburn, 38 in Clementhorpe and a few other properties elsewhere.

York police commander Chief Supt Gary Barnett said: "It's not over yet. We are facing a similar test to the weekend. The city remains on a knife-edge."

Askham Bryan College near York said more than five inches of rain had been recorded in the past eight days - more than would normally fall in the whole of October and November, and the biggest eight-day figure for 40 years.

Forty soldiers from Imphal Barracks were today bolstering defences in North Street, with others resting before resuming their battle to keep back the river.

York MP Hugh Bayley - whose own riverside home came within an inch of being flooded when the river peaked early on Saturday - said today he had appealed for extra woven polythene sandbags over the weekend to help in the continuing sandbagging operation. He said 3.5 tons of bags had been sent to the city.

Ryedale MP John Greenway warned that people whose homes have been under water for several days will find it takes between six and nine months to get them fully repaired. "Where are they going to live until then?" he asked, calling for a centrally co-ordinated recovery operation.

A major operation to mop up after the floods has been unveiled by City of York Council.

Leader Councillor Rod Hills revealed that teams of council staff are already working on

plans for the big clean-up, including liaison with major insurance companies to assist stricken residents.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA centre at Landing Lane has partially re-opened, with 17 dogs returning since Friday's evacuation of the animal home.

Mud and slurry cover the site at the moment and staff are keeping the remaining dogs out until the threat of further flooding has subsided.

The Coney Street branch of WH Smith was still closed today after two feet of water filled the basement stock room on Friday, and its manager does not know when it can re-open. The nearby Woolworth store, also flooded out, was still closed but managers hoped to re-open tomorrow or Wednesday.

* Motorists were today warned by police to stop moving road flood warning signs on the A166 in Stamford Bridge and trying to drive through the floods.