The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) warned yesterday that the weather forecast for the next few days indicated more rain and possible outbreaks of thunder and lightning on the east coast, with the risk of further flooding.

A spokeswoman for SEPA said further downpours could bring more misery for communities already reeling from this week's flash floods-Cupar, Falkland and Freuchie in Fife were badly hit and parts of Carnoustie and Dundee have also been submerged-as the ground in some areas was already at saturation point.

Meanwhile, the people affected by Wednesday morning's deluge of water in Fife returned to their homes yesterday to salvage their possessions and clean up as best they could (see Pictures of Flooding in Fife).

Local MP Sir Menzies Campbell and MSP Iain Smith have called for a full review of flood plans for north-east Fife. While praising the "swift action" of the emergency services and residents themselves, the politicians insisted flood prevention measures had to be looked at to determine whether more could be done to prevent a repeat occurrence.

The SEPA spokeswoman said officers were monitoring river levels across the region and were liaising with the Met Office to ensure the most up-to-date flood warning information could be communicated to the public.

She said, "Between Saturday and Tuesday evenings, around 84mm of rain fell over some areas (of Fife), leaving the ground saturated.

"Weather reports for the next few days suggest there may be more showers, becoming thundery at times, which could lead to further problems.

"Therefore SEPA is urging people to be prepared for the possibility of flooding.

"We are working closely with the Met Office who are providing up-to- date forecasts, and SEPA flood warning officers are monitoring river levels and coastal conditions around the clock to assess the likelihood of flooding."

People concerned about flooding should contact SEPA's floodline on 0845 988 1188 or log onto www.sepa.org.uk/flooding.

Sir Menzies and Mr Smith yesterday visited the communities struck at the weekend and on Wednesday morning.

Sir Menzies said, "It was clear from my visit to affected areas in the constituency that the amount of water and the damage that ensued had taken most people by surprise.

"The work of the emergency services and residents alike must be commended for their swift action and the following clear-up.

"It is also apparent that there is a need for a full review of north-east Fife's flood plans.

"We must identify where flood prevention needs bolstering and how residents can be protected in the future."

Mr Smith said "By all accounts the emergency services did a very good job during this flooding, but it is clear that a full review of flood plans needs to be carried out.

"Questions need to be asked such as, is the current flood prevention needing updated, what future measures need to be put in place, and is emergency service cover adequate?

"The areas where flooding has occurred up and down the constituency needs to be identified and evaluated in order to ascertain what more can be done to minimise future disruption and damage."

Chairman of Fife Council's environment, enterprise and transportation committee, Councillor Tony Martin, said that reviewing the local authority's response to flooding was a continual process.

He said, "We published the sixth update of the Fife Flood Alleviation Report earlier this year.

"This builds on the experience of the council and other organisations in dealing with flooding over the past two years, and obviously our most recent experiences will form part of the next Fife Flood Alleviation Report.

"We are committed to ensuring the future safety of our communities and will continue to work towards reducing flood risk where appropriate measures and resources can be identified."

Meanwhile, Scottish Water crews were working "flat-out" to ensure Dundee's drains could cope with any further rain, a spokesman said last night.

However, he said the public must assist their efforts by not flushing unnecessary items down the toilet