COMMUTERS face travel chaos today after storms dumped a month’s worth of rain on the UK in a day, as roads become rivers and flights are grounded.
Floods and power cuts are expected as heavy rain batters Britain with yellow weather warnings for thunder in some areas and almost two dozen flood alerts.
Roads have been turned into rivers amid the downpours
Yellow warnings for thunderstorms covered much of the country into this morning
A month’s worth of rain was dumped on the UK within a day
The Government currently have 22 active flood alerts, meaning that flooding is possible.
Areas affected stretch from the Mid Bristol Avon Area to the Stoke Trent region.
Meanwhile the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms with the downpours battering much of the country.
Two warnings covered the period from 4am on Sunday to 5am on Monday, covering all of the south east and most of the south west.
The affected area then stretched north right the way up the east coast.
Cities as far north as York and Middlesbrough are still feeling the brunt.
The Met Office said Brits should be wary of sudden flooding and possible power cuts, with traffic delays and other transport issues where floods and lightning strikes hit.
There is also a possibility that small communities could be temporarily cut off by flooded roads.
A number of flights from Heathrow Airport were delayed due to the wild weather with a large number of planes reported to be in a holding pattern, per the Daily Mail.
Flights out of Gatwick were similarly affected as thunderstorms swept the nation last night, with air traffic control restrictions in place.
Inrix, the traffic data company, said: “Reports of thunderstorms affecting flights to / from London Heathrow Airport. Passengers should check the status of their flight before travelling.
“Most flights in and out are delayed due to heavy rainfall.”
Blustery conditions are expected to last into today.
As rain poured down, motorists were unable to get through an underpass in Acton Town, west of London, unless they had a 4×4.
Some drivers who attempted to go under the bridge got stuck and were forced to call AA.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the North West, avoided the worst of the weather.
However, these areas are still set to see long spells of rain, many of which could be heavy.
It comes after four flood alerts were issued on Thursday and a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and lightning.
A jet stream swept across the UK, bringing with it the wet weather and prompting the alert.
The UK has been experiencing temperatures much warmer than usual for this time of year – and that’s set to continue.
October’s highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 29.4C in the small market town of March, Cambridgeshire, on the first day of the month in 1985.
Forecasters have been hailing the warm weather as an “Indian Summer’.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill warned that England could face 20 to 30 millimetres of rainfall in one hour.
He said: “It is because of the risk of some heavy thunderstorms coming through, talk of 20 to 30 millimetres perhaps in just an hour, and for some 40 to 60 (millimetres) in two to three hours.
Residents of Acton, West London needed 4x4s to get through a flooded underpass
Temperatures are set to remain mild, however
