Firefighters last night warned homeowners to brace themselves for more severe weather and flooding.

The warning to take precatuions followed Saturday's storm which saw flash-flooding across the county as one month's rain fell in just two hours.

The Met Office has said severe storms are expected in Oxfordshire today and tomorrow.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is expecting another deluge of calls, just like Saturday when it experienced an "unprecedented" number of emergency calls, with crews being alerted to 160 appeals for help.

However, fire chiefs have said that the majority of calls could have been avoided if homeowners had taken simple precautionary steps before the weather struck.

Peter Tonks, fire and rescue service emergency response manager, said: "Many of the incidents were minor, involving wet carpets or blocked garden drains, which could have easily have been avoided had householders been prepared."

Firefighters have warned householders to take simple measures to reduce the amount of damage caused by flooding. In the event of a severe weather warning, they have advised homeholders to: unplug electrical items raise furniture on bricks or take it upstairs use plywood or sandbags to block external air bricks weigh down drain covers with heavy objects.

On Saturday, 40.8mm of rain fell in just under two hours which, coupled with lightning strikes and thunder, left parts of Oxfordshire impassable because of flooded roads, while homes became victims of rising rainwater and power cuts.

Summer events including Oxford United Football Club's traditional pre-season friendly with Oxford City and Kidlington Gala Day were washed out.

In north Oxford, the Ferry Sports Centre in Summertown was flooded and had to be closed for 48 hours while it dried out. It has since re-opened.

A Met Office spokesman said: "We are expecting heavy, thundery showers and it's going to affect huge parts of the country, including Oxfordshire.

"There is the potential for some pretty big downpours."

More advice on protecting properties against floods can be found on the Internet at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk or www.environment-agency.gov.uk