London roads flood, stranding buses and cars as summer storms lash UK capital

LONDON, United Kingdom — Buses and cars were left stranded when roads across London flooded on Sunday, as repeated thunderstorms battered the British capital.

Emergency services were battling “significant flooding across London,” Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted, adding that all public transportation services were affected and advising people to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas.

Social media users posted videos of partially submerged vehicles in southwest London, with more heavy rain set to fall as a band of thunderstorms made its way across southeast England.

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning across London and surrounding counties until 7 pm local time (1800 GMT).

It warned there was a risk of lightning strikes and flooding, with up to 10 centimeters (four inches) of rain forecast to fall in some areas, almost double the monthly average for July.

Severe thunderstorms over central London throughout much of this afternoon have again caused major flash flooding in parts of the capital.

This is the scene at Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station in Stratford (via @R0bday): pic.twitter.com/pJxagrelnf

— James Cosgrove (@MrJamesCosgrove) July 25, 2021

Police closed a road near Queenstown Road station in southwest London, where three double-decker London buses were stuck under a railway bridge, according to an AFP journalist.

A driver, who gave his name as Eric, said passengers had to get off after his bus started taking on water.

LOOK: A car submerged in floodwater on the North Circular A406 in London, near South Woodford. Traffic is backing up in both directions. #londonflooding #londonthunderstorms pic.twitter.com/JWnXazeDWD

— Howard Johnson (@Howardrjohnson) July 25, 2021

Other motorists in Walthamstow, northeast London, abandoned their vehicles as the rain hammered down.

Police said they were “currently dealing with numerous floods in the east,” warning that tunnels and roundabouts were submerged.