England and Wales Battered by Heavy Rain: Roads Flooded, Homes Damaged, and a Sinkhole Opens Up on AFC Wimbledon's Pitch

Heavy rain and flash flooding have battered parts of England and Wales, causing widespread travel disruption and damage to properties. Roads and houses flooded in central and southern England after some experienced a month's worth of rain in a matter of hours. In London, a sinkhole appeared on AFC Wimbledon's football pitch and 999 call handlers took 350 flood-related calls, while in Bedford a main road was totally submerged.

Flood Warnings and Impacts

A Met Office amber weather warning in parts of central and southern England ended at 21:00 BST, but a yellow warning remains in place across England and south-east Wales. The yellow weather warning for heavy rain - which means some disruption like floods, travel disruption and power cuts is possible - is due to remain until 23:59. Only the far south-west and parts of northern England are not covered.

The Environment Agency has issued more than 20 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and more than 80 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible. Areas affected by the flood warnings include Leighton Buzzard and Luton in Bedfordshire and parts of London.

Among the most dramatic floods was on the A421 main road between Bedford and Milton Keynes, which has been shut - along with the rail line from from Bedford to Bletchley. Sheep in Marston Moretaine had to be dragged to safety in chest-high floodwater and placed in temporary pens. In the village of Grendon, in Northamptonshire, several houses were flooded with clean-up efforts ongoing.

The Impact on London

The London Fire Brigade attended to a vehicle stranded in floodwater in Wallington, Sutton. On Monday afternoon the London Fire Brigade said its 999 control officers had taken some 350 flood-related calls, with firefighters rescuing people trapped inside cars, assisting people from their homes and responding to flooding in Underground stations and roads.

In a post on X, using a photo of a car stranded in floodwater overnight in Wallington, Sutton, the fire brigade warned that “a foot of moving water at just 6mph is enough to float a car, external”. Transport for London has warned passengers that the District, Circle, Metropolitan, Piccadilly, Bakerloo and Central lines have been either partly suspended or subject to minor to severe delays because of flooding caused by heavy rain. National Rail is also reporting widespread disruption and cancellations to some train services throughout the day and has urged passengers to check their journeys.

Impact on AFC Wimbledon

Aerial photos show that a sinkhole has appeared at the Cherry Red Records Stadium - home of AFC Wimbledon - and a walkway next to it has been flooded. The football club confirmed that Tuesday's third-round fixture against Newcastle United for the Carabao Cup had been postponed, citing overnight flooding of the River Wandle and surrounding areas. It said the club's stadium would be closed until further notice, and a rescheduled date for the match has yet to be confirmed.

Cause of the Flooding

A slow-moving area of low pressure has sat across the south of the UK since late on Friday, bringing multiple rounds of wet weather to parts of England and Wales. On Sunday, thunderstorms were reported around Luton, Dunstable and Woburn in Bedfordshire, and this led to some places getting their September average rainfall in just an hour or two.

The worst of the weather was expected to be over by Monday evening. Rain will slowly start to drift eastwards - easing as it does so - with the last dregs to clear south-east England into Tuesday morning. Looking ahead, areas where the ground has become saturated over the last few days may still need to monitor the forecast for Wednesday. Another longer spell of rain will cross England and Wales during the day on Wednesday, but as that clears, chillier air from the Arctic will move south across most of the UK for the end of the week.

Climate Change and the Future

Whilst the primary cause of the heavy rain and flooding is the slow-moving area of low pressure, climate change is also likely to be having some impact. As our atmosphere warms, its ability to hold more moisture rises, which in turn can increase the amount of rain that falls, as well as its intensity.