Rescuers continued to work late Tuesday night to help people trapped by a flash flooding in a village in southwest England's Cornwall.

Some residents in Coverack were winched to safety by coastguard rescue helicopters after their village was overwhelmed by a sudden flood brought on by a storm.

Several people had been forced to climb to safety onto the roofs of their homes to escape the torrent of flood water.

Flash flooding block roads, with hailstones the size of golf balls said to have smashed windows in the village. A torrential 90-minute storm was followed by waves of floodwater.

One local resident, Gloria Knight, who lives in a house on a hill overlooking Coverack, said on social media her garden had become a waterfall as a result of the floodwater.

Police issued an urgent alert telling people to avoid the areas, saying the road into the village was impassible.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said rescue crews were attending multiple flooding-related incidents.

Cornwall Council said around 50 homes and properties in the village affected by the flood, but there were no early reports of any casualties.