UK weather: torrential rain batters parts of country as storm warning issued

Yellow warning in place for London, south-east, east of England and east Midlands, with flooding likely

Torrential downpours have battered parts of the UK as yellow thunderstorm warnings were in place for London and the south-east, the east of England and the east Midlands until 3pm on Thursday.

The Environment Agency has issued six alerts for areas where flooding is possible". Forecasters have predicted flooding to be likely amid intense downpours" and have warned that 50mm (1.97in) of rain could fall in a short space of time in some areas, with one part of Essex being hit by more than 25mm of rain in one hour.