London was struck by over an inch-an-half of rain in just few hours as the Met Office issues a yellow alert for almost all of England.
The heavens opened across the UK with heavy flooding hitting the South East and a flood alert being issued for parts of the capital – as the nation braces itself for fresh travel chaos.
Hopes of a balmy summer with plenty of sunshine seem to be disappearing quickly as the country continues to endure a miserable July.
Last night that came in the form of a huge downpour of heavy rain across swathes of the country with London and the South East of England particularly badly hit.
Flash flooding occurred in Worthing, West Sussex, where over 32mm of rain fell in some parts.
The heavens opened across the country with heavy flooding hitting parts of the South East and a flood alert being issued for parts of the capital – as the nation braces itself for fresh travel chaos
Meanwhile, heavy rain also hit race-goers at the Royal Windsor Racecourse in Berkshire
A vehicle driving through heavy rainfall in Godalming, Surrey.A yellow weather warning for rain was in place from 8am yesterday for parts of England
Flash flooding occurred in Worthing, West Sussex, where over 32mm of rain fell in some parts
Local residents have been advised to stay alert and take necessary precautions as they are forced to cross large streams that have replaced some roads in the town.
Meanwhile, heavy rain also hit race-goers at the Royal Windsor Racecourse in Berkshire.
A yellow weather warning for rain is in place from 8am yesterday for parts of England, including tourist hotspot Cornwall, and Wales with ‘thundery downpours’ forecast.
‘Outbreaks of rain, some heavy and thundery, will spread steadily north across the area during Monday,’ the Met Office said.
‘Some torrential downpours are likely in places with 15 to 20mm falling in less than an hour and as much as 30 to 40 mm in three hours.
‘This is likely to lead to localised flooding, slower travel times and a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded.’
On Tuesday, the weather will turn ‘heavy and thundery’, especially in the east.
Outbreaks of rain and strong winds are forecast for Wednesday with it expected to be drier on Thursday afternoon and Friday.
It comes after last week’s deluge of thunderstorms, which saw people sheltering under their umbrellas in Cambridge and London, briefly came to a halt with a glimpse of the glorious summer sunshine.
‘Outbreaks of rain, some heavy and thundery, will spread steadily north across the area during Monday,’ the Met Office said
Shoppers shield from the rain in Oxford Street in London. Hopes of a balmy summer with plenty of sunshine seem to be disappearing quickly as the country continues to endure miserable weather
According to traditional folklore, the weather experienced on St Swithin’s Day (July 15) will continue for the next 40 days – meaning parts of the country could be in for a wet rest of the summer if the superstition holds true.
The proverb of St Swithin says: ‘St Swithin’s Day if thou dost rain, for forty days it will remain, St Swithin’s Day if thou be fair, for forty days will rain na mair.’
the wet forecast follows a soggy seven months so far which has seen rain derail staycation summer plans for many.
Grahame Madge, of the Met Office, has explained why the UK is currently experiencing a miserable summer.
He said: ‘In a typical summer, the jet stream moves to the north of the UK, allowing areas of high pressure to develop in the meanders, bringing more settled and often warm weather.
‘However, this summer the jet stream has been largely more south-shifted, meaning we are on the cold side of the jet.
‘Areas of low pressure associated with the jet stream have also brought more unsettled conditions to influence, bringing bouts of wind and rain.
‘This isn’t an unprecedented weather picture for summer by any means, but this pattern looks as though it will remain in the forecast for some time to come.’