Floods in SE England by Rob McElwee
Much of southeast England woke up this morning to heavy and persistent rain. The UK Met Office issued a severe weather warning for London and the Home Counties valid for the morning.
However, this morning’s rain was not as heavy as what fell during the late afternoon of Sunday 31st August. The warm and sultry weather broke down in spectacular style during the day with some heavy thunderstorms across West and Northwest London, South Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Norfolk.
Fire crews in Watford and Rickmansworth were left pumping out water from basements after flash flooding inundated homes and businesses. Some cars had to be rescued as they became stranded in the fast rising floodwaters. The downpours forced highway officials to close sections of the M1 and M25 motorways in Buckinghamshire as standing water became a hazard. Torrential rain in North Walsham, Norfolk led to flash flooding during the height of an intense storm.
Sunday’s thunderstorms across the Southeast were sparked off by a trough which moved out of northern France during the afternoon. The thundery breakdown heralded a change in the weather across the UK with much of the upcoming week expected to have an autumnal blast of cool, wet and windy weather.
