AN urgent travel warning has been issued after a month’s worth of rain fell in just an hour and flooding closed roads.

Heavy downpours have battered large swathes of the UK – despite the mercury soaring to 30C.

5

5

5

5

Almost a month’s worth of rain fell in an hour in Greater London yesterday, the Met Office said.

Drivers faced road closures and there were disruptions to public transport, power cuts and flooding.

A whopping 53mm of rain fell in just one hour in New Addington on the outskirts of South London.

Average total rainfall for the month of August in the same area is 56mm, forecasters said.

Just under 40 miles away, a video on social media showed a group of people pushing a car that had become stuck in flood water in Guildford, Surrey.

Benson Lock in Oxfordshire recorded 30mm of rainfall in an hour while Wisley, Surrey, enjoyed the highest temperature of the day of 30.2C.

The Environment Agency has issued 26 amber flood alerts across England, 11 of which are in Greater London.

And red flood warning is in force for Kidbrooke Stream at Forest Row in East Sussex – with flooding now “expected”.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms was issued by the forecaster that covered the majority of the UK on Thursday as temperatures soared to highs of 30C.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Sudden downpours have the potential to quickly make the roads far more dangerous places.

“Official figures show an average of 1,660 people are killed or seriously injured every year as a result of bad weather making roads slippery.

“In 2022 alone, the most recent year for which data is available, there were 53 such fatalities.

“Our patrols are also expecting a 75 per cent rise in calls from drivers whose vehicles become ditched or bogged due to intense rainfall.

“Anyone travelling by car when thunderstorms are expected should delay their journeys until the storms pass if possible.

“Otherwise, it’s best to stick to major roads, reduce speeds and always keep a firm grip of the steering wheel.

“It’s essential motorists do everything they can to avoid breaking down in the first place, like checking oil and coolant levels on their cars when the engine is cold.

“Oil should be topped up if it’s low, and if coolant isn’t between the ‘min’ and ‘max’ levels then drivers should top that up too – or take their car to a reputable Mobile Mechanic or garage to get it checked without delay.”

Heavy rain also caused flooding in parts of Birmingham, where on woman captured footage of a flooded street in Kingstanding.

Today is forecast to be “mostly dry with plenty of sunny spells” with temperatures of up to 28C followed by “generally dry and still quite warm” weather over the weekend.