U.K. London: Londoners faced a tough time as flash floods overflowed the capital’s roads on Monday, wrecking their homes and suspending train lines in many parts.
The damage to infrastructure, businesses, and residential buildings has been estimated in millions of pounds with parts of London receiving a month’s worth of rain fell in just over an hour on Monday evening, causing flash floods. Tubes were suspended, stations closed, and residents were evacuated from their homes.
London Fire Brigade was bombarded with more than 1,000 calls related to flooding, BBC reported.
Torrential downpours particularly in west London caused flooding in Kensington, Notting Hill and Maida Vale. Among those to suffer was Queen guitarist Brian May, who lives in Kensington.
The furious rock star took it to Instagram: “The whole bottom floor had been inundated with a sewage overflow – which has covered our carpets, rugs and all kinds of precious (to us) things in a stinking sludge. “It’s disgusting, and actually quite heart-breaking,” the We Will Rock You writer added.
A resident of Maida Vale said his basement was “under at least a foot of black sewage water.”
One woman described her situation as books ‘bobbing around’ in floodwaters that flowed into her apartment, leaving it ‘wrecked’, Metro UK reported.
A video on Twitter shows water pouring in down the stairs at Sloane Square Tube station.
Kensington and Chelsea Council said 120 people were put up in hotels on Monday night due to flooding in the area.
Meanwhile, swathes of London’s Tube network remain suspended. Underground stations, including Chalk Farm, Hampstead and Wimbledon, were closed due to the flooding.
Intense downpours compelled lines at Euston station to be shut down. Epsom’s signalling was damaged after a lightning strike, affecting trains between London Waterloo and Dorking.
A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) said in a statement: “We apologise to our customers for any disruption and are working hard to minimise the impact to our services.”
“With some bus routes on diversion and Tube and Rail services affected, we strongly advise that customers check for the latest information before they travel to ensure they have a safe and smooth journey.”
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