Thunderstorm and flood affects hospitals and public transport in London

Heavy rains and thunderstorms have caused flooding across London. Roads have been submerged in water and hospitals have been affected due to heavy rainfall. The emergency departments of Newham and Whipps Cross Hospitals were affected due to the flooding. Firefighters from London Fire Brigade were called to rescue people trapped in cars surrounded by floodwater. They responded to calls related to basement flooding, ceiling collapsing etc. 

Flooding across London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on July 25 said that Emergency services were responding to "significant flooding across London". Khan advised people to check on their routes before travelling as public transport such as bus, tube and railways were affected due to heavy rains. He urged people to avoid walking or driving through flood water. A Transport for London spokesperson in an email statement to CNN, said that the flooding has affected the stations on the rail network. The spokesperson revealed that the bus routes, tubes, railway services have been affected due to the flooding. 

London Fire Brigade has responded to more than 1000 calls to flooding incidents across London. Firefighters attended incidents in areas that included Worcester Park, South Woodford, Leytonstone and Stratford. The firefighters rescued people trapped in cars, responded to basement floodings, reports of ceilings collapsing and assisting people from their homes. Firefighters have been working at Whipps Cross Hospital to remove the floodwater. The Meteorological department has issued a thunderstorm warning for the southeast of England for July 26.

Newham Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital were affected due to floods. Barts Health NHS Trust in a statement said that Whipps Cross Hospital was experiencing operational issues due to heavy rains. The hospital has cancelled all the planned surgery and outpatient appointment for July 26. Barts Health NHS Trust in their statement added that they were working closely with other hospitals to maintain patient care. They urged people to check on the website before coming to any hospital for treatment. The heavy rainfall on 25 July flooded the basement at Whipps Cross Hospital, causing damage to the electrical system and a loss of power. The emergency department of Newham Hospital has resumed operations after flooding has been cleared. 

IMAGE: Lyneysearle/LondonFire/Twitter