London travel chaos after overnight torrential rain causes flash floods

Video shows vehicles in Knightsbridge crawling through waterlogged roads.

Torrential rain overnight in London caused flash flooding in parts of the capital, disrupting tube and train services this morning.

While many Londoners woke up to sunshine, heavy downpours in the early hours saturated some parts of the capital and knocked out several tube lines.

Knightsbridge was particularly badly hit, with video on social media showing vehicles crawling through several centimetres of water.

The Met office said 35mm on rain had fallen overnight in St James's Park, with 26mm (just over an inch) recorded in just one hour.

Localised flooding hit tube and train lines, with Transport for London reporting earlier severe delays on the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Line because of flooding at Gloucester Road station. The Metropolitan line was hit by flooding at Aldgate.

There was no service on the Overground between Kensington (Olympia) and Clapham Junction due to flooding in the Imperial Wharf area.

The Piccadilly line had severe delays due to a power supply problem, but is now running a normal service.

Parts of the M23 in Sussex were also closed as the deluge moved eastwards.

London has been hit by flash flooding due to torrential rain several times this year, with two incidents in July alone.

In response to the flooding, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Flash flooding in some areas of London last night is causing concern and anxiety for many Londoners and it shows once again that the dangers of climate change have moved closer to home.

“It remains a key priority for the Mayor and London’s council leaders that more is urgently done to tackle the risk of surface water flooding and the other impacts of the climate crisis. "The Mayor continues to call on the Government to devolve more funding and powers to local leaders to help us deal with both flooding and the wider impacts of the climate emergency.

"The Mayor is leading the way in London to tackle the climate crisis, but London can’t solve this problem alone. COP26 this year provides an opportunity for the Government to show global leadership and to give cities the powers and resources we need to take even bolder action on climate change.”