Two London hospitals have asked patients to stay away after their emergency departments were hit by flooding.
East London’s Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals urged patients to use other A&Es for urgent care, and ambulances are being redirected.
Torrential rain has caused severe flooding in homes, roads and stations.
The London fire brigade said it had taken about 300 flooding-related calls in the space of a few hours.
Vehicles became stranded, and officials warned people not to travel in the hazardous conditions.
Many of the capital’s roads closed due to the flooding, including the Blackwall Tunnel, the A12 and parts of the North Circular.
Whipps Cross hospital in Leytonstone issued a similar appeal, saying it was experiencing “operational issues due to the heavy rainfall”.
Residents on a street in Woodford, in east London, grabbed buckets, brooms and wooden boards to prevent rising rainwater from flooding their homes.
