Capital battered by storms as more than double July’s average rainfall falls in just a few hours

South and west Londoners are beginning a massive mop-up operation this morning after the capital was battered by hours of torrential thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and evening.

More than double July’s entire average monthly rainfall fell in the space of just a few hours as water levels rose across the capital, with Clapham and Camberwell the areas worst affected to the south of the river.

Tube stations – including North Greenwich on the Jubilee line – were forced to close due to flooding, while water also poured into Kennington Tube station.

Five people trapped in their car after it became submerged in flood water in Worcester Park, Sutton, were rescued by fire crews using specialist water rescue equipment to free them.

And roads around Clapham Common were blocked due to flood water which was “12 to 18-inches-deep,” according to Jamie Curtis, who was speaking to The Independent.

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

Drains were overflowing and Kitti Edwards, 28, told The Independent: “”We just wanted to go for a nice walk, but ended up just sitting in the car for ages waiting for the storm to pass.”

By 4.30pm, when the worst of the weather was beginning to calm, London Fire Brigade had already taken 300 calls about severe flooding in the capital.

And although the weather is much improved this morning, showers are forecast for the rest of this week, including possibly thundery ones on Tuesday, according to the Met Office.

A Thames Water spokesman said: “Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain have caused surface water flooding across parts of London.

“We have established an incident team and have many crews on the ground to help. They’ve been working through the night with London borough emergency planners to identify where we can support and respond as quickly as possible.”

He added flooding can be a “complex issue”.

The following telephone numbers have been issued for people experiencing flood problems.

• Flooding from a public sewer, or a burst water pipe in your home: Call Thames Water on 0800 316 9800.
• Blockage in a section of Thames Water pipework: People were advised to report this and if there’s a risk of sewage flooding inside the property, to call Thames Water on 0800 316 9800.
• For blockages within drains people are urged to call a plumber.
• Restricted toilet use: This may be temporary and return to normal as weather conditions, and water levels improve.
• Highway flooding: To report flooding from roads, gullies or ditches, contact your local highway authority.
• Land drainage or groundwater flooding: To report flooding that’s run off nearby land or seeped up through the ground, contact your local council.
• River flooding: If a river has burst its banks, you’ll need to contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60

Do you have any pictures or flood stories to tell us? Email news editor Toby Porter at toby@slpmedia.co.uk