As rain lashed down on London on Sunday, two London hospitals had to ask patients to steer clear of their emergency departments after being hit by heavy flooding. 

Whipps Cross and Newham hospital in East London urged patients to seek other Accident and Emergency departments for urgent care. Ambulances carrying patients to the hospital have also been redirected. 

Torrential rain has caused severe flooding in homes, roads and stations, with more heavy rain set to fall as a band of thunderstorms made its way across southeast England.

An amber thunderstorm warning is in place for much of southeast England, with 75 to 100mm (3-4 inches) of rainfall forecast in some areas.  

On Twitter, Newham Council said: “Due to tonight’s heavy rainfall, both @NewhamHospital and @WhippsCrossHosp are experiencing operational issues and are advising people to attend another hospital if they can.”  

The official Twitter handle of Newham Hospital further added, “We’re still here if you need us but to help us while we fix things, please attend a neighbouring hospital if possible.”

Whipps Cross hospital in Leytonstone issued a similar appeal, saying it was experiencing “operational issues due to the heavy rainfall”.

Videos and images of vehicles on flooded roads in southwest London emerged on social media, with more heavy rain set to fall as a band of thunderstorms made its way across southeast England.  

There were also reports of vehicles becoming stranded, as officials warned people not to travel in hazardous conditions.

The Blackwall Tunnel, the A12, and portions of the North Circular were among the routes in the city that were blocked owing to floods. Other routes are experiencing significant delays.

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Meanwhile, motorists in Walthamstow, northeast London, abandoned their vehicles as the rain hammered down.

Following the repeated requests and queries on social media, Mayor Sadiq Khan provided an update, tweeting that the emergency services were battling “significant flooding across London”, and added that all public transport services were affected and advising people to avoid walking or driving through flooded areas.

Earlier, the Environment Agency issued two flood warnings for areas in London near Beverley Brook in Worcester Park and West Barnes.