Flood warning after heavy rain hits London and south east

Passengers commuting from work on Thursday were hit by delays and cancellations due to heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of London.

Operators such as Abellio Greater Anglia, Gatwick Express, Southern, South West Trains and Thameslink were affected, with Network Rail saying it had 1,200 engineers working on weather-related problems on the network.

A number of train stations - including Ruislip Manor, Upminster Bridge, and Lambeth North - were completely closed due to flooding, with Blackfriars and Mansion House closed during the evening rush hour.

Meanwhile, the Waterloo and City line was completely suspended, and services on the Bakerloo, Circle, District, and Hammersmith and City lines were all hit by severe delays.

Rush hour commuters faced fresh delays this evening as they tried to get home.

There has been disruption in London and the south east throughout the day following heavy rain.

Commuters at Waterloo station in London complained of "dangerous" overcrowding.

South West Trains said announcements would be made once services were confirmed as running.

• ITV News report by Olivia Kinsley

Commuters were stranded, and homes left devastated after a month's worth of rain hit London and the south east of England on Wednesday night.

Flooding hasn't occurred in these areas for many years, and many homeowners woke up Thursday morning to flooded basements and potentially huge repair bills.

The Environment Agency has warned of more heavy rain in England and the South East on Thursday afternoon and evening.

It could lead to further flooding in these areas after torrential downpours overnight, which has affected many homes and businesses, and caused severe travel disruption.

At present, six flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 39 alerts, where flooding is possible are in place.

Check the flood risk in your area

This is the scene at Shiraz Mirza polling station in Kingston upon Thames after it was forced to close due to flooding.

Kingston Council has directed local residents who were due to vote there to make their way to Malden Manor Children's Centre instead.

One family in south London has been left devastated after their home was flooded after heavy rain overnight

Darnell Smith showed ITV News around as the family were helped by friends and neighbours as they cleared out some of their damaged belongings.

His mother Maria Petrou also spoke of her "heartbreak" at some of her children's baby pictures being destroyed.

"They're baby pictures, I'm not going to be able to get them back ever...I'm haven't recorded them anywhere else so I'm really upset," she said.

An amber "be prepared" warning has been issued by the Met Office for the East of England and London and the South East.

The warning is effective for Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Kent, Surrey, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead.

A yellow "beware" warning covering South West England and the East Midlands is also in place.

London Fire Bridge is responding to a number of weather-related emergency calls after flooding caused by heavy rain overnight.

In Romford, Essex, firefights have been rescuing many residents trapped by flood waters.

The brigade has appealed for people to only dial 999 "where there is a risk to life or property" after receiving twice as many calls between 1.30am and 6.30am as it usually handles in 24 hours.

Aerial footage of flooding in the market town of Horsham in West Sussex after torrential downpours.

Some polling stations have been forced to close and many others are flooded after heavy rain hit the capital.

Kingston upon Thames Council in south west London has been forced to move two polling stations, Devon Way in Chessington and Shiraz Mirza in New Malden, after they became swamped with water.

Several others remain difficult to access because of the ongoing wet weather.

A Kingston Council spokesperson said: “Heavy rainfall over night has resulted in the closure of two polling stations. We had plans in place to minimise the disruption and alternative polling stations have opened nearby."