Storm Dennis leaves trail of chaos in UK as flooded tracks and fallen trees cause rush-hour misery in London

Hundreds of commuter train services into London were cancelled or delayed this morning as rail workers battled to repair the damage caused by Storm Dennis.

More than 600 flood alerts remain in place across Britain from Edinburgh to Cornwall following a second successive weekend of severe gales and torrential rain , with one woman feared missing after being swept away by floods.

As the rush hour got under way National Rail said the severe conditions, which saw winds of more than 90mph lash parts of the UK, had caused “significant disruption” to some routes.

It said: “Network Rail is now assessing the repairs needed to the railway following damage caused by the storm.

"Train operating companies are also making plans to check that lines will be safe to run passenger trains.”

Thameslink and Southern warned that many services would be affected until noon today.

Flooding on the track between Streatham and Sutton resulted in services from Sutton and Epsom being cancelled or diverted.

Flooding near Farringdon station added up to 20 minutes to journey times. A landslide at East Grinstead meant Southern trains are unable to use the station “until further notice”.

Network Rail engineers were out making continual assessment of conditions, with timetables liable to change. There were warnings of short-notice speed limits.

A spokesperson said “scores” of railway workers armed with chainsaws were out on the tracks throughout the night battling high winds and cutting back fallen trees.

The situation on the railways was made worse by a signal failure in the Welwyn Garden City area that caused disruption into King’s Cross.

A signalling fault also meant a reduced number of Southeastern trains were able to run between Cannon Street and London Bridge.

Many services were starting and terminating at London Bridge, with others stopped short and turned around at other stations

On the roads driving conditions remained difficult, with many routes still blocked by fallen trees and floodwater.

Two of three lanes of the A3 southbound between the M25 and Ockham were closed after floodwater spilled across the carriageways from nearby fields.

Meanwhile the A21 connecting Hastings with the M25 remained closed between Tonbridge and ­Sevenoaks for work on the Medway viaduct, adding to massive traffic jams.

A man was rescued from the river Teme at Eastham, Worcestershire, yesterday morning, with a female casualty still missing. The bodies of two men were pulled from rough seas off Kent on Saturday.