More than 100 homes are now expected to flood in Oxford.

The Environment Agency expects the properties, in Botley and Osney Island, to be affected over the next 48 hours. The Abingdon Road area of the city is also now considered under threat.

But predictions from Oxfordshire County Council were less clear. Today, emergency planning officer John Kelly said that last night more than 160 homes had been under threat but refused to be drawn on what the current forecasts were.

Jed Ramsay, from the Environment Agency, said: "Water levels are just going to carry on rising for the next few days and we are expecting homes to be flooded particularly in the Botley Road area and around the Abingdon Road area, but it is not going to be like the July flooding in terms of scale."

Mr Ramsay said he he did not expect homes in Abingdon to flood.

He added: "Residents in Oxford should be on high alert. They should be calling the Floodline to keep them informed about what the rivers are doing and make plans for how they are going to react if there is flooding, such as moving furniture, their car and keeping an eye on vulnerable neighbours."

Mr Kelly said plans were in place to evacuate people if flooding did occur, but he could not disclose where flood victims would be sent too. He urged people to stay in their homes.

He said: "We have been round to visit people offering them advice but most people in Botley know what to do. We have advised them to move important items upstairs, like passports, birth certificates and photos, and urging them to give some thought to their pets and move their cars to an area which will not flood."

Mr Kelly said he had ordered 40,000 sandbags in preparation for the flooding. He said the council was working with the Environment Agency, fire crews and police to stay ahead of the game.

He said: "We have the processes in place in Oxford and we have been putting the same processes in place in Wallingford, Abingdon and Henley."

In the summer, both Abingdon Road and Botley Road were shut to traffic. Asked if Botley Road was likely to shut, county spokesman Paul Smith said that was a "ridiculous question because we don't know what we are dealing with".

The Thames has risen by approximately one metre in Oxford this afternoon since the heavy rains started. It was expected to rise another 10cm by tomorrow and another 10cm again by Saturday afternoon.

Bullstake Stream would also continue to rise by several inches until Saturday.