UK weather: Flooding causes road and rail disruption as heavy rainfall hits parts of Britain

Heavy rain overnight has caused flooding as downpours and blustery gales continue to batter parts of the UK.

Some 24 flood alerts are in place and commuters have faced rush-hour disruption, especially around London, where unpassable roads have brought vehicles to a standstill.

A yellow weather warning for rain remains in place for the south of England from Portsmouth to Canterbury and parts of London, until 3pm on Thursday.

The Met Office has also issued thunderstorm warnings for the South West for Thursday afternoon and evening, as well as the South East this evening and overnight.

One severe flood warning was for the village of Buxted in Sussex – which received nearly a month’s rainfall in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, several roads and rail routes in London have been partly closed due to flooding, including a section of the A41 Hendon Way which has been closed in both directions since late on Wednesday.

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Parts of the M25 and A1 have also been blocked, along with a section of the A40 at Old Oak Common and some other routes in west London.

Footage on social media showed heavy flooding across Kent, as well as in North Acton in London, while other clips showed more flooding in Turnpike Lane in north London, with one user saying it “takes a bit of paddling” to make it to the station.

Sky News’s weather producer Jo Robinson said East Anglia and the South East can expect further heavy rain, but it will turn drier and brighter from the west on Thursday afternoon.

The Met Office said Kew Gardens in west London recorded the highest rainfall total in 12 hours from 9pm on Wednesday until 8am on Thursday, where 42.2mm fell, followed by Odiham in Hampshire, where 40.2mm fell.

It added that the average rainfall for the entire month of November in Greater London is 69.3mm and in Hampshire is 104.65mm.

Rush-hour transport has been affected due to the heavy downpours, with flooding and signal failures disrupting Tube services.

Transport for London (TfL) said there were severe delays between Stratford and Richmond/Clapham Junction caused by flooding, while a signal failure caused by flooding at Richmond and Acton Town led to no District Line service between Earl’s Court and Richmond/Ealing Broadway.

South Western Railway said that flooding had blocked lines between Fulwell and Hampton, prompting cancellations and delays.

Kent County Council warned people to “be careful out there” after it had multiple reports of weather-related issues across its road network due to “strong winds and heavy rain”.

Sky News’s weather producer Jo Robinson, said: “Heavy rain has brought local flooding, with almost 50mm being recorded in parts of the South East in the last 24 hours.

“Wednesday’s strong winds will have increased the amount of leaves on the ground, which along with other debris will have blocked some drains, increasing the risk of surface water flooding.”

She added that there will be another spell of heavy rain in the far south on Thursday night, with a risk of thundery downpours.

“An area from Dorset to Kent will see the heaviest rain, with another 30 to 40mm possible in just a few hours. That may lead to further local flooding and disruption,” she added.

“A ridge of high pressure on Friday will bring mainly dry conditions with plenty of sunshine once early fog lifts, but it will be on the cold side.”

Unsettled conditions are expected to return over the weekend, with further spells of wind and rain moving in from the West.

There are signs of something more settled from the middle of November, but that will increase the risk of overnight frost and fog.