Heatwave comes to a soggy end with HALF A MONTH’S rain in just a few hours as thunderstorms and flash floods swamp roads and stations
The drenching led to floods, motorway jams and even a rail crash
FLASH flooding hit the south of England after storms dumped almost half a month's rain in just a few hours bringing travel chaos.
This week's heatwave, which brought record breaking temperatures, has been washed away by heavy storms... and it's going to get WORSE.
Cars were caught out by flooding in Ruislip yesterday after half a month's rain fell in a few hours
Flooding was reported across Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London damaging property and causing travel chaos.
Britain's busiest motorway, the M25, was turned into a river with motorists forced to plough through deep standing water.
A section of the motorway was closed anti-clockwise between junctions 21 and 21A during rush hour after the hazardous conditions caused a potentially lethal crash.
There was also drama on the rail network this morning as a train derailed and clipped another service after “hitting a landslide” near Watford Junction, just hours after lightning struck a signal station causing mass cancellations.
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Commuters travelling from Didcot Parkway railway station faced long delays as water gushed through the building.
Dramatic photographs show water around ticket barriers and shops reaching at least half a foot.
Andy Merrett wrote on Twitter: "We might move the party and have a pool party at Didcot Parkway.... tickets please."
Plumber Mike Winton, 49, who was in the front carriage of the derailed train near Watford Junction, said: “Everyone was holding on for dear life.
“When we got hit by the other train a guy was thrown off his seat and hit his head on the compartment.”
Both trains ended up stuck in the tunnel, trapping 400 passengers for four hours and causing chaos to services in and out of Euston. The one Mike was on had been heading from Milton Keynes. One man suffered a neck injury. A woman was treated for chest pains.
The storms hit after a band of torrential rain moved in from the channel overnight.
Met Office meteorologist Martin Combe said 32.8mm of rain had fallen in just three hours in Farnborough, Hampshire - nearly half the 70mm average for September.
Flood warnings remain in place for much of the country, with more rain expected today.
Today the heaviest rain is expected in London and the south east, where an amber warning is in place and "exceptionally heavy, thundery rain" accompanied by hail is expected.
A Met Office spokesperson said: "An area of torrential, thundery rain is expected to develop across the region during early Friday morning bringing the potential for exceptionally large amounts of rain within a few hours.
"Frequent lightning and hail may be additional hazards.
"Whilst there remains some uncertainty about developments and areas affected, there could be major disruption.
"Please be prepared for the potential for very severe weather conditions bringing flash flooding and disruption to transport."
As well as rain temperatures will be falling, just days after parts of the country baked in 34C heat.
Homes, businesses and transport hubs were flooded across the south of England.
In Surrey residents of Walton Terrace were devestated when their homes were flooded for the second time in six months.
Mashood Shah, 22, had not had time to repair damage from the last time his home flooded.
Schools in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, and Didcot and Oxfordshire, are closed today due to severe flooding.
Thousands of homes have also lost power as storms raged across the country.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of a house struck by lightning near Woking, and tackled a blaze in the garage.
Fire crews worked to pump water out of flooded premises across the county.
Transport for London said two Tube stations in west London were closed due to flooding yesterday, while there were also reports of disruption on the M4.
Fire chiefs advised motorists to avoid driving through flooded roads and turn around as pictures emerged of Maidenhead High Street resembling a swimming pool.
This morning a huge crack had appeared in Maidenhead High Street and the road remains closed.
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