Rescue bid: The firebrigade rescues a family from a flooded street in Romford
© Paul WoodRescue bid: The firebrigade rescues a family from a flooded street in Romford
Firefighters used rescue boats to free Londoners trapped in their homes as torrential rain brought chaos to the Tube, road and rail network.

London Fire Brigade attended more than 400 incidents after receiving 550 calls - almost two days' worth of 999 calls - in a couple of hours as extraordinary thunderstorms deluged the capital overnight.

Emergency services asked people only to dial 999 if life was at risk.

Fire crews helped residents to get to work or to polling stations to vote in the EU referendum after 60 homes in Romford were flooded when the River Rom burst its banks.



Station manager Rod Vitalis said: "They have been flooded to a depth of about one metre and we're using rescue boats to get people safely out of their properties if they want to leave them to go to work or out to vote. We're also pumping away water and using sands bags to try and prevent more homes from flooding where we can."

There was massive disruption across the Underground, with stations closed, the Circle line suspended and commuters unable to board overcrowded trains.

One passenger, whose 40-minute journey from East Sheen to Kensington took two hours, said: "It's worse than on Tube strike days."

Problems were set to continue tonight with many train services not expected to resume until 6pm. Track flooding saw delays and cancellations to many Southern and South West trains, including services between London and Brighton and on the Gatwick Express.

Battersea was one of the worst-hit areas, with a row of flats flooded and a BMW deluged as waters rose under a railway bridge in Latchmere Road.

Cars were left stuck in floodwater in Battersea, south London
Cars were left stuck in floodwater in Battersea, south London
The car is thought to have been abandoned by its owner after being unable to drive through the flood. Other flooded vehicles were abandoned under a bridge in Queenstown Road.

Chris Brennan, 27, who woke to find the ground floor of his two-bedroom basement flat in Battersea under 2ft of water, told the Standard: "I came downstairs and saw men pumping water.

"They had been called at about 3.30am. The whole of the downstairs is damaged. Everything is already starting to smell. It's uninhabitable at the moment. I don't have water or electricity and there was a gas leak."

A thick black sludge covered his hardwood floors and his TV and furniture were water-damaged. "I was meant to be going on holiday today," he said. "Luckily a lot of my stuff was in the upstairs bedroom because I'd been packing."

In Victoria, Abdul Choudhury, 27, a consultant, awoke to find his basement flat submerged in one foot of floodwater. He was told the fire brigade was too busy to attend.

He said: "I literally woke up in bed and had to put my feet into water as I got out. Everything has been destroyed, my laptop, passport, books and other documents because the floodwater brought in the muck with it too and we had stuff in storage boxes. I don't have insurance. It's a nightmare."

The London Fire Brigade dealt with 300 calls overnight
© Rich WaltersThe London Fire Brigade dealt with 300 calls overnight
Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, and Lewisham were also badly hit. Flooding caused huge delays on the A13 and A12 after the Blackwall tunnel was briefly closed.

Platforms and walkways at Clapham Junction were described as being a "mass of bodies", with passengers left bewildered about incoming trains that disappeared from information boards.


South-West London was also badly affected, with the District line part-suspended between Parsons Green and Wimbledon and Earl's Court station massively overcrowded.

Embankment, Borough, Canning Town, Tooting Broadway and Lambeth North stations were all closed for a period this morning. London Overground services were suspended in numerous areas
including between Surrey Quays and New Cross.


South-West Trains was unable to run services between Waterloo and Weybridge. Southern said all lines between Clapham Junction and Milkon Keynes were blocked.

In Surbiton, lightening strikes affected the railway and a manhole overflowed so much that it began spurting water. Kingston police officers tweeted a 17-second video clip of the "dancing man-hole cover".


The Environment Agency issued four flood warnings covering rivers in Bromley, Sidcup and Basildon, and 22 flood alerts across the South East.

The Met Office issued a weather warning for the South East until 6am tomorrow. Forecaster Luke Miall said: "If you're in the South East, you definitely need your umbrella and possibly a pair of Wellington boots."

London Fire Brigade
© London Fire BrigadeHey you, put that cigarette out!!