This afternoon saw thunderstorms and torrential rainfall in the South East of England. London Victoria was flooded, and there were warnings about a danger to lives from fast-flowing floodwaters.
London’s commuters are struggling to make it home after the downpours, which severely disrupted public transport and closed Tube stations.
One family got caught up in floods on the North Circular Road. They had to smash a window and abandon their vehicle.
Brent Cross is a place where cars are seen traversing floodwaters in one direction and the opposite side being blocked by deep water.
According to The Environment Agency, people should not drive through floodwater. They warn that it can be deeper than you think and that a vehicle will float if it has only 30cm of water.
Met Office issued yellow and amber alerts in large areas of England and Wales. The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings for large parts of England and Wales. Already, roads are swamped by torrential showers and drains flood with water. More rain is forecast.
The Met Office has issued an Amber Alert for Thunderstorms in England today. It covers areas of England from Chichester, Ipswich, London, Brighton, Essex, and all of Kent. The region could see up to 30-50mm (one-to two inches) rain in under an hour. This can cause flooding and disruption.
London is experiencing heavy rainfall for many hours. Additional rain is possible across the South East. Amber thunderstorm warnings are in effect from 10pm.
Several underground stations are currently closed due to flooding: Earl’s Court, Kentish Town, Loughton and Turnpike Lane. Tottenham Hale and Victoria (no District and Circle line) are part closed while the London Overground is also running a part suspended service.
All Thameslink, Great Northern, and Southern train services were affected by the flooding. Services across the network have been cancelled or delayed for more than 60 minutes as a result. This disruption will continue through tonight at 10 p.m. The Moorgate has been halted by trains because of flooding at Harringay Station.
London passengers who are flying to London from the UK claim that their flights were cancelled because of inclement weather. Mark Thewlis posted: “We have been sitting on the plane at Palermo Airport over 3 hours, and they have just informed us that they will cancel our flight due to bad weather conditions at London Gatwick.”
After flash flooding in London, a car drove through roads that were submerged under the Brent Cross River.
Due to deep water, the other side isn’t accessible
To warn motorists from driving through floodwater, a police car lights its lights before it hits.
One family had to throw their car out of the window after it was damaged by a flash flood.
MailOnline was told by one woman that she was waiting on her flight home from Gatwick to be taken off the asphalt in Sicily. Already, we are nearly two hours behind. On advice of Gatwick’s air traffic control, we were told the flight cannot take off.
“The pilot was told by Gatwick weather to remain put for at most two hours because of bad weather.”
According to the BBC, Holbeach in Lincolnshire saw 146.2mm of rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 9:59 this morning. This is 38 percent of the total rainfall in this area.
After floods closed one of East Anglia’s busiest lines, train services have been cancelled in East Anglia.
Greater Anglia reports that services on the London to Ipswich/Norwich busy road will be affected by heavy rain.
Network Rail claims that due to flooding at the level crossing, trains cannot run between these stations. This afternoon, Network Rail tweeted that it was detecting weather warnings in East Sussex and Kent. As a result trains are moving slower.
After torrential rains flooded the Capital, flooding was observed at London Victoria Station.
After getting caught in rain, three women run for cover in London.
Today, a woman attempts to jump over the puddles in North London Highgate during thunder and lightning.
A man aged 66 crosses the street during heavy rain in north London.
People have crossed London Bridge earlier this morning during heavy rains
A shop keeper sweeps the water out of his property in Waltham Forest while wearing plastic bags around his shoes
The Met Office graph shows how torrential rain will affect the South East of England today afternoon.
Rain interrupts play during the opening day’s Test match between England & South Africa, which took place at Lord’s cricket ground in London.
Following a prolonged period of warm weather, Clapham Common was hit with heavy rainfall.
This afternoon, people in central London hold umbrellas as it rains.
While enjoying the rain on central London’s Millennium Bridge, a woman extends her arms while taking in the sights from the Millennium Bridge.
One Londoner made the most out of the London drizzle and went on the streets to photograph Tottenham Court Road in north London.
As her friend was taking stylish photographs, she took the lady in the rainy street.
After several weeks of oppressive heat, this afternoon’s Met Office yellow warning for torrential rain in London has finally come to an end.
Today in London, a woman holds onto an umbrella while it pours down.
While walking alongside the River Thames, this afternoon two women put on their hoods.
A man shelters himself with a bag while crossing the road as heavy rains and thunderstorms hit the Capital.
As torrential rain pours down on the Capital, a young boy watches.
Due to today’s downpour, trains are moving at a slower pace in some parts of South East England.
Yellow weather warnings are issued for the entire south of England, including as far as Cardiff and Leicester. Flooding and other problems can also be expected.
A hospital even urged patients have even been urged to avoid an A&E department after its building was flooded. Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop (Nottinghamshire) said that the heavy rainfall caused water to enter a small portion of its building.
A Facebook message from the hospital revealed that it was working with colleagues to fix the problem.
Hospital staff said: ‘Please note, we continue to ask local people in Worksop to only attend the Emergency Department at Bassetlaw Hospital if your need is urgent or life-threatening.
“Due to yesterday’s rain, water got into some parts of the building. Our colleagues have been hard at work fixing them – we are hoping to complete this work soon.”
The South West has seen parts of Devon and Cornwall hit particularly hard by flash floods. There were dramatic scenes of torrential downpours on roads throughout Newquay, Cornwall.
Dorset residents used containers made from buckets and other makeshift items to divert flash floodwater off a West Bay restaurant. Meanwhile, Winchester workers were seen yesterday removing a drain grid from a swamped street.
Port Talbot and Loughborough were both flooded by floodwaters.
After a flood at a Waterstones shop in Swansea, volunteers rushed to rescue books. Floods caused by torrential downpours left bookshelves soaked.
Staff recorded rain streaming through the ceiling, with empty shelves and many wet books scattered on the ground.
A Twitter message read: “With sincere apologies we are now closed.
“A wonderful moment in the carnage, loads of customers rush over to help save the books. (We had to decline safety requests but we are grateful!) The normal service should resume soon, we hope.
Experts have cautioned that the recovery from the nation’s driest July and its wettest first half since 1976 will take several weeks. This is because the ground won’t be able to absorb water. Surface runoff can cause flooding.
It means that wildfires can still be a possibility in the “tinderbox dry” land Britain is left with.
Following parts of South West England, central England, and Yorkshire last week, authorities moved Yorkshire into official drought status Tuesday.
Yesterday night, a large fire lit a field in the vicinity. Buckley Hill Road Bootle, Merseyside, with fire crews from Buckley Hill and Kirkby called at at 9.35pm to reports of a ‘major wildfire’, with witnesses worried about the Shy Lowen Horse and Pony Sanctuary, the Liverpool Echo said.
After torrential rain overnight, Scotland experienced disruptions in travel.
The A358 was still closed in Combe Florey between Minehead (Saskatchewan) and Taunton (Saskatchewan), yesterday after Monday’s mudslide. More than 100 tonnes of mud, potatoes and other debris were removed by workers from the affected fields.
After torrential rain this afternoon, an ambulance drove through the flood streets of Stoke Newington in north east London.
A lady shelters underneath her jacket in the rainy days of north London
This afternoon, cars drive through floodwaters in Gants Hill (east London)
As rain stopped play at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, this afternoon’s test match between England & South Africa is being played on the first day, rain covers were put on the wicket to protect it.
Fans of cricket in London saw South Africa and England play each other. It rained so much that they had to take their umbrellas.
After an early dry start, rains brought down London’s infrastructure, including disruptions to London’s test match at Lord’s cricket grounds between South Africa and England.
Met Office warns of flooding in areas of England and Wales. This is especially true in the south-east.
One cyclist was soaked in the torrential rains of Sheffield while she tried to brave Britain’s flash floods and thunderstorms.
As extreme weather sweeps the UK, huge waves crash onto the Sunderland seafront
DORSET: A Dorset dogwalker is given a soak in Burton Bradstock during flash flooding caused by torrential rain.
LONDON – A man races to the Millennium Bridge after being taken into court for a brief downpour.
WINCHESTER: A man tries to clear a drain grid during flooding in Winchester yesterday as parts of the country are hit by heavy rain
SOMERSET: Workers have had to remove more than 50 tonnes of mud and potatoes yesterday following the mudslide on the A358 in Somerset
DORSET: Locals and visitors join together to try to clear floodwater away from Seagulls restaurant at West Bay in Dorset yesterday
NORTH Wales: Thomas Davies entered his garden on Sunday night to try out his camera in the midst of thunderstorms close to his Rhyl home, north Wales.
CORNWALL: A down-stairs deluge falls down the steps of St Mabyn, Cornwall in torrential rains on Tuesday
Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire asked people to stay away from its A&E if possible after the building flooded
The UK is bracing for even more storms as clouds of thunder gather in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
CORNWALL: The wet weather helped form a waterspout alongside the south coast of Cornwall over a tour boat in Fowey Harbour, creating a vortex (pictured on Tuesday)
Met Office warns that while some locations will still be affected by them, thunderstorms and heavy rains will continue to develop on Wednesday in central, eastern, and southern England.
It is possible to get 20-30mm of rainfall in one hour. But, areas with thundery rain that become slow-moving can see 60mm in three hours.
“Some spots may see more rain than usual, but hail and lightning could be hazards.” By Tuesday night, 29 flood alerts had been issued by the Environment Agency.
According to the Met Office, Tuesday’s downpours were strongest at Spadeadam, Cumbria with 25.4mm and Trengwainton House in Cornwall with 18.4mm.
Video footage and photographs shared via social media revealed torrential rains and floodwaters sweeping across towns in southern England, Wales, such as Newquay (Cornwall), Bishop’s Tawton (Devon), Haywards Heath and West Sussex, Port Talbot and Bridport respectively.
Amid the weather warnings, Britons have been urged to prepare a ‘grab bag’ of essentials in case of flooding as torrential rain and thunderstorms hammer parts of the country today, causing mudslides while deluging rail lines and streets.
According to firefighters, people need to have a flood plan in place. Those living in low-lying areas or basements are most at risk.
According to the National Flood Forum, a flood ‘grabbag’ must contain insurance, other important documents and mobile phone chargers. It should also include emergency cash, credit cards and debit cards.
According to the London Fire Brigade, people need to be prepared and understand what to do in case of flooding. They also recommend that they use sandbags and water-sitting devices to reduce the flow of water and to move their belongings up to higher levels. According to the Met Office, people who live in low-lying homes should ensure that their precious items are either’ready for use’ or on a higher floor of their house.
Met Office yellow flash flood warning for today highlights the south east and parts of northern England as being at risk
A large fire broke out in a field close to Buckley Hill Road, Bootle, Merseyside last night. Fire crews from Buckley Hill, Kirkby and other stations were called by 9.35pm to report a “major wildfire” (pictured).
These guidelines will be applicable to millions. According to the Environment Agency, 5.2 million homes in England (or one in six) are at high risk of flooding. These include 2.4 million at high risk due to flooding from the rivers or sea and 1,000,000 at higher risk because of water-related issues.
One user on Twitter shared footage of flooding in Newquay and wrote: “I have never seen rain this bad.” Our road is flooding £Newquay.’
A second Twitter user, from Bishop’s Tawton (North Devon), said that “(Flash flooding) prompted the use of Sandbags to stop water entering houses, despite recent Flood Work by @EnvAgency urgently needing solutions.”
ScotRail put speed restrictions on some routes Tuesday. Network Rail, however, said they were dealing with flooding at Perth station.
Thursday is the fourth consecutive day of warnings for thunderstorms across the UK. This leaves residents in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire prepared for heavy downpours.
Simon Partridge, Met Office forecaster said that heavy thundery showers may develop in warm muggy weather and there could be high amounts (of rain) especially if you witness several heavy thunderstorms coming in consecutively.
Northerners should feel fresher and cooler, with some sunshine.
Partridge stated that the ground had been baked dry due to the heat and lack of rain over the past few days. Rain has fallen on the ground, but it is now completely dried and has been baked dry as concrete.
It is more efficient to run off the rain than it was previously. It is easier to absorb rain if there are some moist soils. The run-off rate of rainfall is likely to be higher than normal.
“It almost seems like the whole field has been tarmacked, because water is running off the soil and so much of it has not gone into the ground.
As heavy rain causes surface spray, vehicles drive down the wet M25 at Swanley in Kent.
Seagulls, West Bay restaurant in Dorset was flooded on Tuesday by locals as well as tourists.
Following a large mudslide which has created chaos and caused damage to local roads, Somerset’s A358 was closed at Combe Florey.
Stephen Dixon, Met office spokesperson, said some parts could get up to 50mm in rain in less than three hours. He added: “We’ve got thundery showers for quite a few people here. It is important that you note that thunderstorms can occur anywhere within the area of warning. Some areas may not get the rain.
“The risk of thundershowers will increase in the south of the UK over the next day.” This risk is expected to continue through Wednesday, according to Mr Dixon.
“Early Thursday morning, we are focusing our attention on the South East. As the day progresses, the risk decreases.
Even though flooding has become an increasingly common problem in the UK, the National Flood Forum warned that the UK is still’reactive but not proactive’ when it comes to flood risk.
Heather Shepherd (the charity’s flood recovery specialist) said that the number of people who have been affected by flooding had increased. This is something we observe every year as a consistent pattern.
“I think that we still are reactive but not proactive. We are a lot too lax when flodding is not on the news.
Miss Shepherd stated that flooding is a growing concern because of the ‘a lot’ of building. [building]It is in places that water used to have space, but it doesn’t anymore. It overflows our drainage infrastructure.
Swimming enthusiasts are being asked to avoid Cumbria’s Lake Windermere, due to toxic algae on the water surface.
Although the heatwave technically has ended on Tuesday after eight days, temperatures remain high in large parts of the UK at 22C (71.6F) yesterday in London, Brighton, and Exeter, and 25C (77F across the south last Thursday, and 23C (73.4F on Friday).
Firefighter from Wiltshire, Dorset fire department helped pump the water out with their fire engine. This was after flash flooding occurred on Tuesday due to torrential rainfall and thunderstorms.
Some of the floodwaters were removed by the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue team, which allowed motorists to continue their journey (pictured Tuesday).
As heavy rain causes surface spray, vehicles drive down the wet M25 at Swanley in Kent.
An elderly couple takes a short walk on the sandy beach near Weymouth, Dorset.
Commuters walk over London Bridge on Tuesday morning as heavy rain hits the capital following the heatwave
Two young women walk under umbrellas as heavy rain falls on London’s Millennium Bridge yesterday afternoon.
As it rains heavily on Tuesday afternoon in London, three people snap a selfie while they are standing under umbrellas on Millennium Bridge.
As heavy rain falls on the capital, people walked over London Bridge yesterday morning following yesterday’s heatwave.
London was flooded yesterday. While some people walked through the city in rain, others didn’t have umbrellas.
Yesterday’s flooding on railway lines in Scotland near Perth, caused by heavy rain. Speed restrictions were imposed yesterday on these routes.
Yesterday afternoon, a bride and groom sheltered from the rain by using an umbrella for their wedding photographs in Central London.
Tourists wearing rain ponchos walked through Westminster yesterday after heavy rain.
After a severe drought declared in England last week, flash floods have emerged.
Several water firms – including Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water – have already imposed hosepipe bans to tackle the shortage.
South West Water is the latest company in Cornwall to announce that restrictions will be in place starting on August 23.
Yorkshire Water will ban Yorkshire Water on August 26, while Thames Water said that it was planning to do so, but could not confirm the exact date.
A £1,000 fine could be imposed on anyone who breaks the ban but water companies have not said if they have pressed for prosecutions in the past.
Stephen Dixon, Met Office spokesperson, stated that heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to affect parts of Scotland along with areas in South West England and East England.
He added that up to two inches of rainfall – almost a month’s worth of rain – could fall in just three hours in some parts.
After torrential rains and storms, floodwaters submerged a Morrisons parking lot in Loughborough.
Yesterday afternoon, shoppers rush to avoid a torrential downpour. A man jumps across a puddle.
He said: “That being stated, it’s quite difficult to determine exactly where these storms will occur. Showers will not fall in all areas.
‘But, where they do come down, there could be some impacts like surface water flooding – with the rain obviously hitting dry land –travel disruption and power cuts affecting homes and businesses.’
And Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst warned that the bad weather conditions could pose difficulties for those hoping to travel and urged people to stay up to date with developments in their local area.
“We will see some heavy showers developing over the coming days. Hail, frequent lightning and flash flooding are possible, like we’ve seen yesterday. Our advice is to keep tuned to the latest forecasts as well local radio stations to receive the latest information.
“It is important to be aware of possible disruptions to your travel plans.
He said, “It will turn quite breezy as we conclude the week with some showery rainfall, especially across the northern part of the UK. Temperatures generally about average for most but may be slightly higher for those in the far south. This is the mid-20s.”
A car drove through torrential rain in floodwater yesterday on the B3157 Coast Road at Burton Bradstock in Dorset
After the heatwave, cars were stranded on Winchester’s flooded roads.
One car drove through torrential rain in floodwater yesterday on the B3157 Coast Road at Burton Bradstock.
A tractor is helping to clear A358, Somerset, yesterday. It was shut down at Combe Florey last night following the mudslide.
A tractor is helping to clear A358, Somerset, yesterday. It was shut down at Combe Florey last night following the mudslide.
As the downpours returned to London, two people looked at Tower Bridge from under umbrellas yesterday morning.
“It appears most likely that it will be fresher from Wednesday through Thursday.”
Hannah Cloke from the University of Reading is an expert on hydrology and warned of the danger of flooding due to the dry soil.
According to her, “The ground is very dry” and it behaves a bit like concrete when so dry. Water can’t penetrate so water drains away. There is the damage to homes and businesses these floods can cause, and inconvenience with transport disruptions –but if it is very heavy in one place it can also be very dangerous.’
It could impact cities like London. She stated that if there is heavy rain, the drainage system will be able to handle it. But if there is really heavy rain it can overwhelm the system – the rain cannot run away quick enough.
‘Water tends to find the lowest pathway – that is why it is so dangerous for cities with these surface area floods. It is a concern for the Tube, underground car parks, and other such things.
“If we’re in London and there are no parks to drain the water, it makes cities more dangerous.
Cloke explained that floods often strike rural roads at low spots and under bridges.
Also yesterday, Ofwat chief executive David Black has defended targets set for water companies as ‘challenging but achievable’.
When asked by BBC Radio 4’s Today program if leakage targets are too tough, Mr Black replied: “Yes, we have set difficult but realistic targets for water companies. Leakage is one of those targets.”
“So we challenged the industry to cut leakage by 16 percent at our last price review. The latest information that we have indicates that thirteen of the 17 companies are currently on track for achieving this in the first two year.
He said, “I can point to other areas in (targets regime) where less companies succeed, such as on pollution incidence.
“So, now we have established challenging targets. At the most recent price review, four of the 17 companies had appealed our determination. They felt the goal was too difficult and claimed that they were not able to achieve them.
Black said also that, overall, water supply sector had “underperformed against price review”.
According to him, the BBC will be penalizing companies that leak too much. This could be because they outperform the system elsewhere. However, overall performance has not been as good against the price reviews so far.
Black said that the sector had not been able to earn the standard rate of return.
He added: “We agree customers should receive better service. We have therefore set performance targets in all cases to encourage better performance by companies.
“There are companies such as Thames Water that have repeatedly been poor performers, and we have taken actions against them.”
Asking Mr Black if he believes there are any problems with the system, he replied that he did not think so. He said, “No. I think companies like Thames or Southern really need to improve their game.” It’s concerning to see that companies in other sectors are performing well, which can be a problem when there is poor performance.