Torrential rain and flash flooding cause travel chaos in SE England
From BBC
Lightning strikes, hail, torrential rain and flash flooding have caused major travel problems across east and south-east England.
There have been problems on the roads in Sussex, Essex and London.
London Fire Brigade said it was helping 
people trapped in their cars across parts of the capital.
Southern Water said “torrential rain fell across Sussex” leading to some sewers becoming “overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water”.
Electrical supply problems caused by a lightning strike had led to disruption on 
Southern railways, although a Network Rail spokesman said services were returning to normal, subject to some residual delays.
Southern said it was running normal services in the region, apart from trains to Brighton which are not stopping at Worthing because of flooding in the station subway.
Footage from Worthing shows roads filling 
with rain
The lightning hit an electricity sub-station, causing power to the coastal rail route to be cut, although the main line to London was running normally, according to a Network Rail spokeswoman.
In Essex, a road in the village of Thaxted collapsed and several homes were left flooded 
as a result of the heavy rain.
Five people in the village were taken to safety by fire crews and the boiler house at the village primary school in Bardfield Road was flooded.
The A40 Western Avenue in Uxbridge has also been closed because of flooding, according to BBC Travel.
In north-west London, two women had to be rescued from a car stranded in flash-flooding outside South Ruislip station.
London Fire Brigade said it was also dealing with two stranded cars on Eastcote Road in Harrow.
At one stage the AA’s Special Operations Response Team said six cars were stuck in floodwater in Uxbridge, West London.
Fifty properties have been flooded on Bedford Road in Ruislip, while Tube services have been affected, with no service currently on the Metropolitan Line between Ruislip and Rayners Lane.
Jamie Davis, 17, of Ickenham, west London said the downpours, with flashing lightning and strong sounds of thunder, began at 09.00 BST and lasted for at least 45 minutes.
“My back garden is completely flooded. The drains are bubbling up and we can’t flush the toilet,” he said.
Sussex residents said the storm there started at 05.30.
Writing on Twitter Laurence Hill wrote: “Used to be roads. Now rivers of hail. Never seen anything like it.”
Brighton and Hove Police posted: “Localised flooding in Hove and Portslade, some roads not passable. Please do not enter flood water on foot or in cars.”
Footage from @yezzer and Jade Clements shows rivers of hail in Hove and Brighton
PC Andy Huggett, of Sussex Police, said: “Heavy rain after a long warm spell invariably leads to slippery roads and drivers need to immediately adjust to the new conditions.
“Along with the surface conditions, there are the added hazards of very heavy rain, flash flooding and poor visibility and it is essential that drivers make allowances.”
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said its Brighton crews had dealt with a large number of weather-related emergency calls which had included flooding, lightning strikes “and false alarms caused by the weather”.
Brighton and Hove City Council said essential services were being maintained across the city, and drains would start to carry away the water once the rain subsided.
“City Clean are working with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to clear roadside gullies.
“The refuse and recycling service is operating normally but might be a bit slower due to the weather,” a spokesman said.
The council said its offices in Kings House were currently closed due to flooding in the basement which was threatening some of the main electrical panels.
It said staff were relocating to other buildings, and there would be some disruption to services.
For more on this story and to see videos go to: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-28520520
