Overnight storms cause floods and fires in London

Thunderstorms and heavy overnight rain have caused significant disruption across parts of London.

There was disruption around Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Terminal 4 this morning due to flooding. The Elizabeth line has now reopened, but issues are still expected until late afternoon, with the Heathrow Express also running a reduced service.

The disruption follows intense storms in the early hours of the morning. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it had handled about 400 calls since midnight, most of them related to flooding affecting homes and roads.

Firefighters also attended at least two house fires, which are believed to have been triggered by lightning strikes during the storms.

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To cope with demand, the brigade activated its high-volume call procedure, prioritising incidents where there was a risk to life.

It also temporarily introduced Operation Willow Beck, allowing surplus 999 calls to be redirected to other fire control rooms.

Areas such as Twickenham and Richmond saw a high number of flooding reports during the early hours, according to LFB.

Some roads were hit by flash floods, and the brigade urged drivers not to enter floodwater, warning that as little as a 1ft (30cm) of water moving at 6mph (10km/h) can float a car.

Flooding has also affected other transport services. On the London Tramlink network, there were severe delays between Sandilands and Elmers End/Beckenham Junction because of floodwater on the tracks.

Earlier this morning Balham station was closed due to flooding, but has since reopened.

One of the houses struck by lightning in London was in Wilde Place, Tooting, where the roof of a semi‑detached property was damaged, along with a small section of the adjoining home.

Pictures from LFB show a hole large in the roof caused by the strike, although no injuries were reported.

Other areas across southern England were also hit by the lightning strikes overnight and a house in Bristol was reportedly set ablaze during a storm earlier in the evening.

It comes as England braces for temperatures of up to 40C (104F), with the Met Office issuing a rare red alert set to come into force on Wednesday.

LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "It has been a very busy night for our control officers, firefighters and officers.

"Whilst the worst of the rain now seems to have passed, we continue to work through outstanding calls as well as receive new incidents as Londoners wake to see some of the damage caused by the storms overnight."

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