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London weather: Hospitals and DLR station flooded as streets turn into rivers

Flash floods put parts of the city underwater, closing stations and causing chaos at hospitals.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) had taken more than 1,000 calls by the early hours of Monday morning following the torrential rain and thunderstorms.

Barts Health, London’s largest health trust, declared a major incident after water flooded the basement at Whipps Cross Hospital, causing damage to the electrical system. Newham Hospital was also affected.

All scheduled surgeries and outpatient appointments at Whipps Cross have been cancelled and ambulances diverted.

Parts of the Central Line in east London were suspended on Monday morning as engineers worked to repair damage caused by the weather.

It followed torrents of water gushing into Pudding Mill Lane DLR station in east London, creating a whirlpool at the ticket barriers, while Stratford Station was also closed by flooding on Sunday.

London buses, cars and taxies were seen crawling along waterlogged roads, which transformed into rivers during the downpour.

  • Have you been affected by the flash floods? Email rachael.burford@standard.co.uk

Drivers were stranded for more than three hours on parts of the A3 near south west London on Sunday night as police attempted to divert cars away from flooded roads.

In Worcester Park, a family was rescued by firefighters in a dinghy when their car became trapped by the rising water.

LFB said: “Firefighters rescued three adults and two children who were trapped after their car became stuck in one metre of water in Worcester Park and used specialist water rescue equipment to assist partners at major flooding on Charlie Brown's roundabout in South Woodford.

“Crews are continuing to support partners at Whipps Cross Hospital today, assisting with removing flood water and ensuring the safety of patients.”

Shoppers were seen wading in murky streams up to their knees in Hackney Wick, north east London, while drivers were swamped by deep floodwater In Nine Elms, south west London.

Newham and Whipps Cross Hospitals confirmed that its emergency departments had been flooded.

A spokesman said: “We are continuing to experience operational issues at Whipps Cross Hospital due to the heavy rainfall yesterday.

“We cancelled all planned surgery and outpatient appointments for today, and are diverting ambulances while we work hard to clean up affected areas of the hospital.

“We are keeping the situation under constant review and will post updates about services as necessary.

“Meanwhile we cleaned all areas affected by the flooding at Newham Hospital yesterday and its emergency department is now open to people needing emergency care.

“We are working closely with other hospitals across the Barts Health group to maintain patient care, and asking the public to check the latest visiting arrangements for each hospital on our website before coming to any site.”

One London resident said flooding in the capital was the worst he had seen in his lifetime.

Eddie Elliott, 28, cycled past the area outside Queenstown Road station, where he said the road had been “totally shut down”.

“Having been born and raised in London, I have never seen anything quite like it,” he added.

The Met Office issued an amber thunderstorm warning for London and much of the south east where homes and businesses are at risk of flooding.

Jamie Curtis said the roads near Clapham Common were blocked due to floodwater which was “12 to 18 inches deep”.

“I’ve not seen that level of flooding in London before,” he said.

Transport for London announced severe disruption to its services, which continued into Monday morning.

A car and a bus drive through deep water in Nine Elms on Sunday (AFP via Getty Images)
A car and a bus drive through deep water in Nine Elms on Sunday (AFP via Getty Images)

Station closures due to flooding included Covent Garden, Edgware Road, Gants Hill, Kennington, North Greenwich, Pudding Mill Lane, Stepney Green, Stockwell and Surrey Quays stations.

Many roads London were shut by the severe weather, including the Blackwall Tunnel, sections of the North Circular and the A12.

 (AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

Another 14 less severe flood alerts were implemented for most of the capital and some neighbouring counties.

The Environment Agency is warning against people traveling in the dangerous conditions.

Have you been affected by the flash floods? Email rachael.burford@standard.co.uk

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