Streets and railways lines were partially submerged after flash floods rushed through a Kent town.
The sudden thunderstorm in Tunbridge Wells led to train and bus delays and comes after a stretch of scorching weather and uninterrupted sunshine.
Video posted online showed fast-moving water gushing through streets in the town after around 20 minutes of rainfall between 4pm and 5pm on Thursday, the Met Office said.
A yellow weather warning put in place on Thursday for London and south-east and south-west England expires at 7pm.
Jonathan Short described a “torrent of rain descending” and “drains erupting” and said there were flooding concerns from local shop owners who had been flooded before.
Met Office meteorologist Dean Hall said the storms were now losing their potency and that the worst was over.
He said: “Light winds and high temperatures means we get a sea breeze developing along the coast. It’s caused by temperature differences by land and sea and sets up a pressure difference.
“That unstable atmosphere can be enough to trigger these thunderstorms.”
Hard ground conditions means the water is less absorbed into soil, he added.
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