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Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson has announced he will quit as UK prime minister after he dramatically lost the support of his ministers and most Conservative MPs but says he will stay on until his successor is chosen.

Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 ministers quit and MPs said he must go, an isolated and powerless Johnson said it was clear his party wanted someone else in charge but that his forced departure was "eccentric".

"Today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place," Johnson said outside his Downing Street office where his speech was watched by close allies and his wife Carrie.

"I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks," he added, making no apology for the events that forced his announcement.

There were cheers and applause as he began his speech while boos rang out from some outside the gates of Downing Street.

After days of battling for his job, Johnson had been deserted by all but a handful of his closest allies after the latest in a series of scandals sapped their willingness to support him.

"It was a short and bizarre resignation speech which didn't mention the word resign or resignation once. There was no apology, no contrition," Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said.

"There was no apology for the crisis his actions have put our government, our democracy, through."

The Conservatives will now have to elect a new leader, a process which could take weeks or months, with details to be announced next week.

A snap YouGov poll indicated that defence minister Ben Wallace was the favourite among Conservative Party members to replace Johnson, followed by junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt and former finance minister Rishi Sunak.

While Johnson said he would stay on, opponents and many in his own party said he should leave immediately and hand over to his deputy, Dominic Raab.

Former Conservative prime minister John Major said it was "unwise and maybe unsustainable" for him to remain in office when he could still exert its powers.

"For the overall wellbeing of the country, Mr Johnson should not remain in Downing Street - when he is unable to command the confidence of the House of Commons - for any longer than necessary to effect the smooth transition of government," Major said in a letter released to media.

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said he would call a parliamentary confidence vote if the Conservatives did not remove Johnson at once.

The crisis comes as people in the UK are facing the tightest squeeze on their finances in decades after the COVID-19 pandemic, with soaring inflation and the economy forecast to be the weakest among major countries in 2023 apart from Russia.

It also follows years of internal division sparked by the narrow 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and threats to the make-up of the United Kingdom itself with demands for another Scottish independence referendum, the second in a decade.

Support for Johnson had evaporated during one of the most turbulent 24 hours in recent UK political history, epitomised by finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed to his post on Tuesday, calling on his boss to resign.

Zahawi and other cabinet ministers went to Downing Street on Wednesday evening, along with a senior representative of those MPs not in government, to tell Johnson the game was up.

Initially, Johnson refused to go and seemed set to dig in, sacking Michael Gove - a member of his top ministerial team who was one of the first to tell him he needed to resign - in a bid to reassert his authority.

But by Thursday morning as a slew of resignations poured in - including that of Michelle Donelan who he had only appointed education secretary on Tuesday night - it became clear his position was untenable.

"You must do the right thing and go now," Zahawi tweeted.

Some of those that remained in post, including Wallace, had said they were only doing so because they had an obligation to keep the country safe.

Once it was clear he was standing down, Johnson began appointing ministers to vacant posts.

© RAW 2022

Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson has announced his resignation as British prime minister after dramatically losing the support of his ministers and most Conservative MPs but says he will stay on until his successor is chosen.

Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 government ministers and aides quit and MPs called for his head, an isolated and powerless Johnson said it was clear his party wanted someone else in charge.

He described his forced departure as "eccentric" and the result of "herd instinct" in parliament.

"Today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place," Johnson said outside his Downing Street office, making no apology for the events that forced his announcement.

"I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed.

"And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks."

The Conservatives will now have to elect a new leader, a process which could take weeks, with details to be announced next week.

A snap YouGov poll found defence minister Ben Wallace was the favourite among Conservative Party members to replace Johnson, followed by junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt and former finance minister Rishi Sunak.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said on Thursday he planned to run in the leadership contest, while Attorney-General Suella Braverman has also put her hand up for the top job.

While Johnson said he would stay on, opponents and many in his own party said he should leave immediately and hand over to his deputy, Dominic Raab.

Former Conservative prime minister John Major said it was "unwise and maybe unsustainable" for Johnson to remain in office.

The Financial Times, citing MPs with knowledge of the plans, said the party intended to have a new prime minister in place by the time parliament returns from its summer break in early September.

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said he would call a parliamentary confidence vote if the Conservatives did not remove Johnson at once.

Johnson's term in office was ended by scandals that included breaches of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown rules, a luxury renovation of his official residence and the appointment of a minister who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

He is leaving behind an economy in crisis. Britons are facing the tightest squeeze on their finances in decades in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with soaring inflation.

The economy is forecast to be the weakest among major nations in 2023 apart from Russia.

His departure follows years of internal division sparked by the narrow 2016 vote to leave the European Union.

Support for Johnson had evaporated during one of the most turbulent 24 hours in recent British political history - epitomised by finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, only appointed to his post on Tuesday, calling on his boss to resign.

Zahawi and other cabinet ministers went to Downing Street on Wednesday evening to tell Johnson the game was up.

Initially, Johnson refused to go and seemed set to dig in, sacking Michael Gove - a member of his top ministerial team who was one of the first to tell him he needed to resign - in a bid to reassert his authority.

But by Thursday morning as a slew of resignations poured in - including that of Michelle Donelan who he had only appointed education secretary on Tuesday night - it became clear his position was untenable.

In his resignation speech, Johnson highlighted his successes - from completing Brexit to overseeing the fastest COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Europe. But he said his attempts to persuade colleagues that changing leader while there was war in Ukraine and the government was delivering on its agenda had failed.

"I regret not to have been successful in those arguments," he said.

"But as we've seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful - when the herd moves, it moves and, my friends, in politics no one is remotely indispensable."

© RAW 2022

People returning home after fleeing floods in Sydney are being warned of potential hazards while residents further north still face rising rivers after more heavy rain.

About 60,000 people remain under evacuation orders or warnings despite authorities moving into recovery mode in many areas.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the worst of the wild weather that has plagued the state for a week is over but intermittent showers will continue into next week.

Major flooding continues along the lower Hunter, Hawkesbury-Nepean and Macquarie rivers, as well as at Wollombi Brook and Tuggerah Lake, with surrounding communities on high alert.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said most people were following advice from the State Emergency Service - which performed 50 flood rescues overnight - but some were still putting themselves in danger.

"A number of those rescues are still people in vehicles driving through floodwaters ... please just don't take that risk," he said on Thursday.

Concern has shifted to the Hunter and mid-north coast regions after extensive flooding in parts of Sydney this week.

Bureau meteorologist Diane Eadie said parts of the mid-north coast had received a drenching with up to 300mm of rainfall in 24 hours.

"We've seen extraordinary rainfall totals, however the most significant activity has now moved offshore," she said.

Singleton residents have been cleared to return to their homes after the Hunter River peaked around 13.7 metres, higher than during floods in March this year. To the east at Maitland, major flooding is still expected.

Seven Victoria Police officers have been sent to help with flood rescues and recovery in the Hunter.

Flood Recovery Minister Steph Cooke said close to 800 damage assessments had been conducted around western Sydney and about 30,000 residents ordered to evacuate had been cleared to return.

"The flood emergency is winding down, the recovery efforts are winding up," she said.

But SES deputy commissioner Damien Johnston warned people to stay alert to dangers when they went home.

"You can have contaminated waters, contaminated waste, debris, and other risks such as electrical risks," he said.

Residents in Dubbo Regional Council have been issued an alert to boil town water for at least a week due to poor conditions in the Macquarie River.

A multi-agency taskforce involving the SES, Australian Defence Force and other agencies was established on Thursday to help in the flood clean-up.

Mr Perrottet said the taskforce had been mobilised a week earlier than during previous floods and it would help with performing damage assessments, clearing debris and cleaning properties.

Waste levies at tips will be waived in flood affected areas to help communities dispose of flood detritus.

Meanwhile, applications for support payments of $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for children opened on Thursday.

Mr Perrottet visited flooded areas with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday, and the pair faced criticism from one member of the public who has suffered repeated floods.

"This happened three months ago and everyone was talking about fixing the same problems ... but nothing's happened," Windsor local Scott Hinks told the pair.

Mr Perrottet said he appreciated the frustration repeated floods had brought and added governments needed to focus on both short- and long-term solutions.

© AAP 2022