Rain, rain, but then a scorcher of a weekend

FLOOD victims were today mopping up after 18mm -3/4 in - of rain fell on London in five hours yesterday afternoon. Weathermen warned of more heavy rain today but promised a scorching weekend with temperatures hitting 30C (85F).

The riverside south-west London suburb of Barnes was renamed Barnes-on-Sea as houses and roads were submerged in more than a foot of water after severe thunderstorms.

The high tide in the Thames made it impossible for the storm water to drain away and police were forced to close streets and tow away cars as drains failed to cope with the deluge. John Lockwood, licensee of the White Hart pub in Mortlake, said: "This is the worst rain I have seen in 34 years on the river. I am no stranger to floods but this was as bad as it gets. A lot of people have wisely stayed inside enjoying the football and a drink." Broadcaster Paul Harrison, 24, of Barnes, was stuck in the traffic jams which hit much of London on the day of the Tube strike. He said: "It took me 90 minutes to drive two miles from Richmond to Barnes. Police put road blocks up and fire crews tried to clear about a foot of water but it looked like they were fighting a losing battle." Caryll Courtice, 59, who works in nearby East Sheen, described how a wave two feet high swamped the shop she was in. "It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. We felt like we were in Noah's Ark, with all this water around us," she said. "Boots and Woolworths closed their doors and firemen were left open-mouthed. I have lived in London all my life and don't remember rain like it." The London Fire Brigade received hundreds of calls from flooded houses and businesses across the capital. The Meteorological Office blamed the rain on low pressure systems mixing with hot air above the UK. A Met Office spokesman said: "We recorded about 18mm of rain in five hours yesterday - we normally expect about 45mm for the whole of June. Unfortunately the rainstorms are likely to go on for the next two or three days. The good news is that the weekend is set to be a scorcher with good weather coming in from the Continent. We should at last enjoy some sunshine and high temperatures." An AA Roadwatch spokesman said: "If the rain continues today drivers should allow more time for their journeys and take things slowly."

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