Bank Holiday flooding

The Bank holiday has been a washout for many but in Essex people spent the first day of the long weekend up to their knees in water.

Drains burst on the beach front at Southend-on-Sea after a month's worth of rain fell in just a few hours.

The Met Met Office issued weather warnings across the east of England.

At one stage in the day, 20mm of rain fell across Essex in an hour, and entire streets had to be evacuated in the town of Billericay after floods caused landslips that dragged down a wall.

This amateur video appears to show children being saved from a sinking car in Hockley, Essex, following torrential rain yesterday.

Read: Sunshine to follow heavy rain

The south east of England has experienced heavy rainfall overnight, with up to 0.4 inches falling, but the sun is expected to poke its head through later today.

The Bank Holiday weekend got off to a damp and soggy start, with flooding causing chaos in some places.

Heavy downpours might have blighted the start of the Bank Holiday weekend for some, but tomorrow the whole country will once again be bathed in sunshine.

Highs of up to 27C (80.6F) will warm up the UK tomorrow, after a wet start to the weekend which has seen flash flooding hit the east, particularly in the south.

Suffolk, Kent, Essex and London have seen up to 0.4ins more rain fall overnight but further up the east coast the rain has begun to ease.

This photograph reportedly taken in Canvey Island, Essex and posted on Twitter shows the extent of flooding in the county after torrential rain today.

This photograph reportedly taken in Hockley, Essex and posted on Twitter shows the extent of flooding in the county after torrential rain today.

Torrential rain has caused chaos across south Essex. Roads and shops were flooded and motorists suffered long delays after the London bound A127 was closed. The Fire Brigade took numerous calls from members of the public affected by the flooding.

Fans have had to be patient as they wait for play to get underway in the fourth day of the Ashes Test at the Oval.