A20 Loampit Vale in Lewisham under water as flood alerts issued for South East of England after a weekend of heavy rain
Flood alerts have been issued for vast swathes of the south of England following a weekend of heavy rain.
Residents in Lewisham, south east London, had a nasty surprise yesterday after bad weather caused the river Ravensbourne to burst its banks, leaving the A20 Loampit Vale under almost a metre of water. Fire crews managed to keep the water from flooding Lewisham DLR station, which remained open.
The warnings to residents have been put in place in parts of Essex, Suffolk, Cambridge and areas further afield. The Environment Agency is asking people to be prepared for more rain and take action to protect their properties in affected areas.
The news will have home-owners in the south of England worried, after floods devastated properties and businesses in winter last year.
The 2013 floods prompted calls for the government to step up spending on flood defences and to dredge stretches of the Thames more frequently, in order to prevent a repeat in years to come.