London party boat sinks in River Thames amid heavy rainfall

A London party boat which is a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub has sunk in the River Thames amid heavy rainfall.

The boat, which was moored at Temple Pier, sank on Thursday as rain battered the capital.

A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office until 3am on Friday.

An HM Coastguard spokesman said: “A restaurant vessel sank at Temple Pier in London on January 4.

“The alarm was raised at about 12.30pm and everyone is accounted for.”

The Port of London Authority has advised vessels to pass Temple Pier with “great caution”.

A Royal National Lifeboat Institution vessel, a Metropolitan Police boat and a London Fire Brigade boat were sent to the scene.

A spokesman for the Bar & Co boat, said: “Likely it sunk because of weather conditions.”

As of Thursday evening, more than 270 flood warnings remain in place across England.

It comes just days after disruption caused by strong winds and rain from Storm Henk, which has left the ground saturated and more prone to flooding, according to forecasters.

The Met Office added that the spell of rain on Thursday was falling on already saturated ground which could cause “further flooding and travel disruption”.

It said: “The track of the heaviest rainfall remains very uncertain, but there is a chance of 20 to 30 millimetres falling in six to nine hours across a portion of the warning area, with a few places perhaps seeing 40 to 50 millimetres.

“Impacts are more likely due to the current very wet ground across the region.”

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