By Samantha Jones-
Torrential downpours have battered parts of the UK, with one part of Essex being hit by more than an inch of rain in one hour. Dagenham Heathway station was closed this morning due to flooding caused by heavy rain, while a number of exits were closed at Charing Cross station in central London.
The Environment Agency has issued nine alerts for areas where “flooding is possible”, including in the south London boroughs of Merton, Sutton, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Croydon.
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Andrewsfield in Essex reported 36.4mm (1.43in) of rain in the early hours of Thursday as heavy showers and storms swept across the east and south-east of England.
A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place for London and the south-east, the east of England and the east Midlands until 3pm – with forecasters saying flooding is likely amid “intense downpours”.
The Met Office has warned of difficult driving conditions and some road closures due to spray and standing water. Train delays and potential loss of power and other services are also likely.
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The Environment Agency has issued six alerts for areas where flooding is possible.
The warnings come after a period of dry weather that led to drought being declared across areas of England, with parched grass and struggling crops, streams drying up and river, reservoir and aquifer levels low. Hosepipe bans were brought in for millions as heatwaves pushed up demand for water.
Sunny spells are expected to return on the bank holiday is expected to be largely dry with warm sunny spells, though possibly wetter in the north-west.
Temperatures could climb to 30C (86F) or into the mid-20Cs depending on how the high pressure builds, the Met Office said. Spokesperson Grahame Madge said: “We’ve definitely switched from the hot and dry regime to something that has rain in the forecast.”
While the downpours will mean this month will “catch up a bit” with rainfall totals, he said: “It’s certainly going to be a dry August for the whole of the UK.” And he said some areas had gone without any significant rainfall from the middle of June until last week.
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