The Environment Agency has issued five flood warnings across southern England and 19 flood alerts, including parts of Wales, after thunderstorms caused widespread flooding in London on Sunday. Roads and tube stations were submerged, and Barts Health NHS trust declared a major incident due to flooding at Whipps Cross Hospital and Newham Hospital in east London.
The trust urged patients to attend alternative hospitals where possible, stating: 'We are working closely with our local partners to resolve the issues and maintain patient care.' In south-west London, police closed a road where three double-decker buses became stuck under a railway bridge, with passengers forced to evacuate after one bus began taking on water.
In Walthamstow, north-east London, motorists abandoned their vehicles, and some residents reported waist-high water in their homes, prompting emergency service rescues. Social media posts showed flooding on Portobello Road in west London. The London Fire Brigade received 300 flooding-related calls in just a few hours on Sunday.
Met Office and Environment Agency rain gauges recorded 48.5mm of rain in one hour at Bethersden, Kent, between 3pm and 4pm, with 38.5mm at Ryde, Isle of Wight, and 20-30mm in parts of London. The Standon Calling music festival in Hertfordshire, with a capacity of 15,000, was cancelled due to flooding, with organisers advising attendees to leave safely.
The Met Office had issued an amber thunderstorm warning for parts of south-east England, including London, during Sunday afternoon and early evening, later downgraded to a yellow warning covering an area from Norwich to Plymouth until midnight. Meteorologist Steven Keates attributed the storms to a convergence of air currents as warm air from the recent heatwave met cooler air aloft.
Forecasters expect Monday to be 'slightly quieter' in the south with local showers, but unsettled weather is likely to continue through the week, with further rain and thunderstorm warnings possible from Tuesday onwards.
