Flash floods hit London, leaving cars stranded and tube stations underwater

Watch: Flash floods and thunderstorms batter London

Cars were left stranded and homes and businesses at risk after torrential rain and storms brought flash floods to London and parts of southern England.

Dramatic pictures and video footage on Sunday showed cars stranded on the A406 North Circular, while the Blackwall Tunnel underneath the Thames in east London was also left closed in both directions - partly due to repairs but also due to flooding.

There were also reports that eight London Underground stations and one overground station were left closed due to flooding.

The Met Office warned that more homes and businesses are at risk of flooding, with an amber warning for storms covering London and some of the Home Counties in place until 7pm on Sunday.

A yellow warning for storms which could cause travel and power disruption, in place until midnight on Sunday, also covered a wider area of the south from Norwich to Plymouth.

Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates said parts of the south between south Suffolk and the Isle of Wight could be hit by 100mm of rain in just a few hours on Sunday evening.

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He warned that "torrential thunderstorms" and some "pretty lively showers", along with thunder, lightning and potentially hailstones would hit parts of the south on Sunday night.

He said storms were being caused by a "convergence” of air currents" due to warmth in the earth’s surface from the recent heatwave rising into cooler air in the atmosphere.

People shared footage of cars stranded on the A406, with Highways England saying in a statement that the M11 southbound exit Slip Road to the A406 W/B Waterworks at J4 (A406 North Circular was closed due to flooding in the carriageway.

Twitter users shared images of the usually-busy Blackwall Tunnel, while someone also posted a video of a huge geyser of water shooting upwards from a storm drain at Hammersmith Bridge

Others shared images of flooded tube stations on the underground network, including Pudding Mill Lane DLR station.

On Sunday night the hashtag #londonflooding was trending on Twitter.

In a tweet, Kingston Police said: "Due to heavy rain some parts of the borough is currently dealing with, please remember to drive carefully.

“Also remember that you’re not driving a submarine. Do not enter what could possibly be deep water.

“Watch your speed + distance as stopping distances will be greater.”

The rain came just days after record temperatures in the UK thanks to a heatwave.

The rest of the country was in line for a more settled end to the week, with sunshine is expected in Scotland.

Temperatures are set to rise in most places again on Monday as the storms clear, with the mercury predicted to reach 26C in London, 25C in Edinburgh, 24C in Cardiff, and 22C in Belfast.

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