The capital has been hit particularly hard as heavy showers and thunderstorms leave motorists and shoppers stranded. London Fire Brigade said they have taken at least 130 calls. The worst affected areas were initially Clapham and Camberwell in the south of the city, but flooding has also been reported in east and north east London. Britons have taken to social media to post horrific images of rising water, abandoned cars, and monsoon-like conditions.

       The Met Office has issued an amber warning for storms covering London and the south east where homes and businesses are at risk of flooding.

       A yellow warning for storms that could cause travel and power disruption also covers a wider area of the south from Norwich to Plymouth, and lasts until midnight.

       The Environment Agency said its staff "were actively monitoring the situation" and were prepared to respond if required.

       Wandsworth Police warned drivers to "remember that you're not driving a submarine" and said those with vehicles should "not enter what could possibly be deep water".

       Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates said parts of the south between Suffolk and the Isle of Wight could be deluged by 100mm of rain in just a few hours on Sunday evening.

       He said: "There's torrential thunderstorms around yet again.

       "Into the evening, from Norfolk to Bournemouth we are going to see some pretty lively showers.

       "Torrential downpours, thunder and lightning and potentially some hailstones are settling in the south."

       Mr Keates said the storms are being caused by a "convergence" of air currents, due to warmth in the earth's surface from the recent heatwave rising into cooler air in the atmosphere.

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       3am update: Residents work together to protect homes

       Mariya Peeva, a restaurant manager, described how her neighbour's bedroom flooded - and how water forced its way into her home.

       She told ITV: “My son went to buy some food from the local shop – by the time he came back the whole street and the pavement were already flooded and the water was coming into our front door.”

       Video on social media showed a bus stuck in a flooded street and residents, using an inflatable float, came to the rescue of those on board.

       Onlookers cheered from the path as they freed the passengers.

       1am update: One month's worth of rainfall hits London in one day

       Met Office forecasters told The Telegraph an average July would see an estimated 47ml worth of rainfall in the entire month.

       Redbridge, East London, saw 51ml of rainfall in just three hours.

       11.45pm update: Shocking video shared on social media shows Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station submerged

       Flooding in the station is at an extreme level as commuters watch from the safety of the stairwell.

       The East London station appeared to be under at least a foot of water with a strong current.

       The video, shared by Rob Day on Twitter, has been viewed 1.5 million times.

       Alex Shipman is taking over from Tom Evans.

       10.35pm update: London hospitals declare critical incidents as flooding forces ambulances to redirect

       Some areas of the emergency department at Newham hospital have been flooded while staff at Whipps Cross hospital in Leytonstone are dealing with "operational issues" due to the torrential rain.

       Both hospitals are run by Barts Health NHS Trust.

       ITV's Paul Brand said extra staff have been called into the hospitals.

       He tweeted: "Understand a critical incident has been declared at London hospitals this evening due to flooding at Newham and Whipps Cross.

       "Major impact on Newham Emergency Department and maternity and other wards at Whipps Cross. Ambulances being redirected."

       10pm update: London floods mayhem: Urgent raw sewage warning issued as eight Tube stations shut

       Londoners have been warned to keep away from floodwater as it may be "mixed with raw sewage from overloaded sewers".

       One man tweeted: "Reminder, in urban areas floodwater is almost always mixed with raw sewage from overloaded sewers, especially in London where the Thames Tideway scheme to boost capacity is not completed.

       "So essentially, don't touch floodwater."

       He added: "I know this makes me a killjoy but also the water is opaque and full of obstacles, you really really do not want to cut yourself in an open sewer."

       Parts of Gants Hill station on the Central Line was also flooded following the huge downpours this afternoon.

       9pm update: London floodwater explodes into sky as torrential rain causes Geyser-like eruption

       Incredible footage posted on social media showed a Geyser-like eruption of water at Hammersmith Bridge.

       Some viewers attributed the huge column of water to an overflowed water drain, while others claimed it was due to a burst water main.

       One person tweeted: "Mind-blowing water leak near Hammersmith bridge. Water main bursts 50ft high."

       Another person remarked: "My guess would be the high river tide is pushing against the flap on the overflow outfall.

       "The floodwater is squeezing around the edges, like a finger partially over a hosepipe."

       8.10pm update: DLR station flooded as eight others on Tube line shut due to bad weather

       Water was filmed pouring into Pudding Hill station on Sunday evening as the city was hit by devastating floods.

       Floodwater could be seen gushing through the station, near Stratford in north east London.

       Astonishing footage is being shared widely on social media, with Londoners kayaking across the streets and manhole covers being burst open.

       7.15pm update: Rest of country experiences much calmer conditions

       The rest of the country has experienced a cloudy, more settled end to the week while sunshine hit Scotland.

       Temperatures are set to rise in most places again on Monday as the storms clear, with the mercury predicted to reach 26C in London, 25C in Edinburgh, 24C in Cardiff, and 22C in Belfast.

       The Met Office has predicted early cloud in some northern and eastern parts which will move up to Scotland, and sunny spells and scattered showers in most places throughout the day.

       6.15pm update: Cars stranded as firemen struggle through water up to their knees - VIDEO

       Dramatic footage posted on social media shows cars stranded on the A406 - and the heavy rain is set to continue into next week.

       Clips online show desperate drivers trying to travel through the floodwaters.

       One person tweeted: "Okay so everyone who's in East London, stay home and avoid driving."

       Another person added: "This is so insane, some streets are knee-deep in water."