“It’s wet everywhere! Torrential thunderstorm rains over the south-east of England resulted in flooding late Sunday into the streets of London, where transport was disrupted.
Rescue services are facing “heavy flooding” across the British capital, Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted in the evening. Buses, subways and trains are affected, he added, urging Londoners to check their route and avoid crossing the flooded areas on foot or by car.
Three hundred calls reporting flooding
In the south of the British capital, near Queenstown Road station, police blocked traffic on a road that had become impassable, the roadway being flooded, especially under railway bridges, an AFP journalist noted.
The flood blocked several red double-decker buses in the middle of the street, one of the drivers of which told AFP that the water had reached the floor of his vehicle. “It’s wet everywhere! », Reported the man who only introduced himself by his first name, Eric. London firefighters said on Twitter that they had received around 300 calls reporting flooding in the southwest of the capital.
The British meteorological service Met Office had raised an orange alert for thunderstorms in London and its surroundings until 7:00 p.m. local (6:00 p.m. GMT), but thunderstorms and torrential rains are expected until Monday in the south of the country. Some areas may even see 100mm of rain fall in a few hours on Sunday evening.