Britons endured further weather misery today as torrential downpours and gale force winds continue to batter the country.
August has gotten off to a soggy start, with flash flooding seeing cars submerged – and one woman claiming her electric vehicle had been ‘written off’ – after the country endured its sixth wettest July on record after being battered by downpours.
Today gusts of up to 60mph hampered parts of England and Wales with some areas seeing 40mm of rain within a few hours.
Unhappy campers were forced to sleep in their cars and even drive home early from their holidays to escape the summer showers.
Meanwhile a Lincolnshire photographer said she had been left stranded 84 miles away from her home after he car was written off due to torrential rain flooding in a hotel car park.
Lisa Harding, from Coningsby, had booked a stay at the Mercure Kenwood Hall Hotel in Sheffield today to show her aunt and uncle around the Peak District.
The plan had been to take Essex natives Peter and Lesley Whitty to the Ladybower Reservoir and Castleton – but a night of heavy rain and a ‘poor’ parking situation left Ms Harding in a ‘nightmare scenario’.
The ‘livid’ photojournalist said: ‘I got up this morning to take them out, and my car was sat in nearly three feet of water’.
LINCOLNSHIRE: Lisa Harding from Sheffield had her car written off today after flood waters broke her electric gear box
LONDON: A woman uses a newspaper to try and shelter from the rain as she walks through the capital
LONDON: Fire crews in the capital had to work to divert flood water and evacuate 14 people to safety after a man became trapped inside a van following flooding in Wembley
MANCHESTER: Cars struggled to make their way through floodwater in Levenshulme, Greater Manchester
LONDON: Abandoned cars are left in a car park in Tokyngton Avenue in Wembley
Surface flooding, uprooted trees and travel delays were seen in many parts of the country.
In London fire crews rushed to Wembley after a man became stuck in his van when floodwaters rose.
The team worked to divert the water and evacuated 14 other people from the area.
People in Oxfordshire and Greater Manchester also fell victim to surface flooding problems, while the London Ambulance Service warned travellers to take care during tricky conditions for cars and bikes.
The wettest areas today were Flamborough and nearby Bridlington in East Yorkshire which by last night had been deluged by 41mm and 37mm of rain respectively, the Met Office said.
The Met Office warned of lightning strikes to buildings and structures during the storms, which may spark travel chaos to rail passengers and motorists, as well as ‘short term’ power losses.
Tomorrow is forecast to be drier but northerly winds should make some areas feel distinctly cool. However, another spell of wet and windy weather is predicted for Saturday.
The culprit continues to be the jet stream which remains stuck across the British Isles – sending waves of rainy Atlantic weather systems our way, just as it locks Mediterranean holiday destinations into heatwave conditions.
MANCHESTER: Streets in Levenshume were flooded and had to be closed on Wednesday after heavy flooding overnight
WEST YOKRSHIRE: Slow traffic in heavy rain on the M62 near Brighouse on Wednesday
But the Met Office says there are ‘early signs’ that the weather could become more settled and warm by the end of next week.
Forecasters have warned that the UK could continue to see unsettled conditions until the second half of August, with a period of prolonged or excessive heat thought to be unlikely.
Trees were also left uprooted in Oxfordshire as the UK faces warnings for strong winds
Surface flooding was seen in country lanes near Dunsden, Oxofrdshire, after overnight downpours
Throughout the day most parts of the UK will be hit by the heavy downpours drenching the country
In July the poor weather meant racegoers at the Goodwood festival of speed in West Sussex were also left holding onto their hats as sudden gusts of wind blew in.
And worse may be to come with another deep Atlantic depression forecast to be blown in just in time for the weekend.
A storm system called Patricia by French meteorologists saw winds of up to 60mph hit parts of the south coast.
Lisa Vickery, who owns MacDonald’s Farm campsite near Padstow, told BBC Radio Cornwall ‘quite a few’ visitors had left due to rain or cancelled at the last minute.
‘Everyone wakes up praying that today’s going to be a dry day, but we’ve never seen weather like this in the four years we’ve been here,’ she said.
Up the coast in East Prawle, Devon, one camper was considering going back home after recovering from a ‘horrific night’.
He said: ‘The tent could cope with the rain – but not the gales.
‘I have four children… they abandoned the tent to sleep in the car.’
Last month was the wettest July in Britain since 2009, with 140.1mm (5.5in) of rain falling – 170 per cent of the average amount.
