ondon commuters heading home are in for a rush hour hell as half a dozen stations were closed due to heavy flooding. Victoria station was closed after passengers were seen wading through ankle-deep water after the skies opened on Wednesday afternoon. A Network Rail spokesman said: “Just after 3pm. this afternoon, colleagues at London Victoria station noticed flooding at the main entrance due to heavy rainfall with large volumes of water running down the slope leading to the eastern section. “Some retail units and platforms had to be closed. Platforms 7 and 8 have since remained closed and platform 19 has reopened. We are working to remove the water and get everything back to normal as quickly as possible.” Earls Court, Kentish Town, Turnpike Lane and Loughton stations are also closed due to flooding, a Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson told the Standard.
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Baker St station was temporarily closed and Tottenham Hale is partially closed. Meanwhile, extreme flooding submerged main roads outside King’s Cross station. The King’s Cross Visitor Center said due to the heavy rain, “we are experiencing problems with the lighting in King’s Cross and the fountains in Granary Square”. Cars can be seen driving through floodwaters on Upper St, Islington’s main street. London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged commuters to plan ahead. “Parts of London and our transport network are currently experiencing disruption due to storms and flooding. If you must travel, check your journey using the TfL website or app,” he tweeted. There are minor delays on the Central, Elizabeth and Jubilee lines and the Overground lines. The Central Line and the Overground are partially suspended due to flooding. As storms hit the capital on Wednesday afternoon and the skies opened up, roads quickly flooded. It comes after the Met Office warned that homes in the capital and the south-east were at risk of flooding following the recent drought. Torrential rain is affecting parts of south-east England, particularly Essex, London and Surrey, but will ease this afternoon, the Met Office said. “Extremely heavy rainfall has affected the Chigwell, Woodford, Buckhurst Hill areas of north-east London and south-west Essex but will ease over the next hour.” An orange thunderstorm warning has been issued for most of London, while a less severe yellow warning is in place for the northwest of the city and the rest of southeast England. “Flooding to homes and businesses is possible and could happen quickly, with some buildings damaged by flooding, lightning, hail or strong winds,” the Met Office said in a statement. “It is possible that fast-flowing or deep-flooding waters may cause a danger to life.”
