Two hospitals in London have declared ‘major incidents’ after A&E departments were left partially underwater.
The capital and other places in southern England have been battered by storms, with families stranded and tube stations flooded.
Emergency departments at Newham Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital are still open for walk-ins – but patients are asked to go to alternative hospitals where possible.
A statement tonight from Barts Health NHS Trust said: ‘We are experiencing operational issues at Whipps Cross Hospital and Newham Hospital due to the heavy rainfall.
‘We are working closely with our local partners to resolve the issues and maintain patient care and – while services remain available for people in an emergency – patients are asked to attend alternative hospitals where they can, to help us put solutions in place as quickly as possible.’
A statement from Newham Hospital said on Twitter: ‘Our Emergency Department has flooded in some areas.
‘We’re still here if you need us but to help us while we fix things please attend a neighbouring hospital if possible. Thank you!’
It comes after families had to be rescued from their homes in Walthamstow as water reached waist height.
Parents and children were also reported to have been stranded in vehicles on the M11 and A406.
Extraordinary footage also showed Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station in Stratford underwater as torrential downpours continue to batter the city.
Restaurant manager Mariya Peeva, who lives in Woodford, said her neighbour’s bedroom was flooded, and her son worked with other residents to prevent the rising rainwater from deluging their home.
Ms Peeva, 46, said: ‘My son went to buy some food from the local shop – by the time he came back the whole street and the pavement were already flooded and the water was coming into our front door.’
Londoner Eddie Elliott, 28, said the flooding was the worst he had ever seen it, after he cycled past Queenstown Road station where the road had been ‘totally shut down’.
He said: ‘Having been born and raised in London, I have never seen anything quite like it.
‘It stands out as the worst I’ve experienced personally… totally shut down the whole road with buses stood broken down in the water.’
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for storms which could cause travel and power disruption also covers a wider area of the south from Norwich to Plymouth, and lasts until midnight.
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