Downpours hit the capital on Thursday, as Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of the possibility of flash flooding following a record-setting hot and dry summer.
Following week after week of sunny skies, areas of London have seen a deluge of rain on Thursday lunchtime.
Met Office forecast and more showers expected
The Met Office forecast suggests that there could be more to come, with more showers predicted through the rest of the day.
It comes after England saw the driest July on record - with no meaningful rain in London.
Risk of flash flooding due to hard ground
The “flash drought” has left millions in the capital under a hosepipe ban as reservoir levels drop, while turning the capital’s green spaces yellow and brown. The hard, baked ground could make London more susceptible to flash flooding, as Sir Sadiq warned in a post on X.
The mayor wrote: “When heavy rain falls on hard, baked ground, water runs off much more quickly, increasing the risk of flash flooding.”
Previous flooding and advice for Londoners
When severe flash flooding hit London in 2021, rain caused damage and disruption to homes and businesses across the city, with many Londoners forced to stay elsewhere as their homes were flooded with stormwater and sewage. The mayor also shared government advice, telling Londoners to check the drains outside their homes and to prepare a flood kit.
