THE News Shopper region has been hit by flash floods following today's thunderstorms.

News Shopper has received reports that several shops in Bromley town centre were affected by the rains and had to close, including the ground floor of Marks and Spencer.

Speaking from the scene earlier today, News Shopper reporter Jon Cheetham said: "The ladies clothes department on the ground floor is closed.

"There's a clean-up operation underway at the moment."

This afternoon, a spokesman from Marks and Spencer said: "A part of the womenswear floor of the shop was closed temporarily for an hour over lunchtime because of the flooding but the section is open and trading again now."

Sainsbury's in Penge also had to close the main entrance to its car park and sent shoppers from the check-outs out the back door and down an alleyway to leave the store.

Jon Cheetham said: "People are struggling to push trollies and are having to be helped as they're getting stuck in the mud."

Shopper Lee Korner said: "It started around 10.30am . All the staff were pushing with mops and the aisles are still damp."

Sainsbury's employee Val Hayler from, Forest Hill was driving from the Savacentre in Sydenham.

She said: "It was like driving though the sea. Manhole covers had come out of the drains. Once I was at Kent House Lane it was fine again."

A Bromley Council spokesman said: "When we have particularly heavy rainfall in a very short space of time, road drains simply cannot cope with the volume of water that is on the road surface.

"We have received approximately two dozen calls from motorists and residents across the borough reporting drain covers 'blowing' and broken road services.

"Our inspectors are examining the reports so we can take appropriate action.

"As part of our maintenance programme, gullies, or road drains are cleaned so that when heavy rain does come, the covers are not silted over."

Other areas have also been affected by the sudden downpour, including Boxgrove Road, in Abbey Wood (pictured).

Bexley Council said 80 places in the borough had been flooded, with 130 calls being received reporting various degrees of damage.

The council says around 10 properties suffered flooding and that it distributed 100 sandbags during the downpour.

As a result of the rain, there was carriageway damaged in some areas of Belvedere, but they were made safe by the evening.

One of the council-maintained ditches in Bellegrove Road, behind the petrol station near Shooters Hill burst its bank and repairs are in hand.

In Mitchell Close, Belvedere, excess water in the drains caused a man hole cover and the surrounding road to burst.

Ward councillor John Fuller said: "The drain in the middle of the road burst.

"The man hold cover and the surrounding road rose up and all the water came out.

"The Thames Water sewage plant was at overcapacity which forced water back through the drains which blew a hole in the road.

"Bexley Highways and Thames Water were there an patched up the road so the school children could get out.

"They will be coming back next week to finish it properly."

The water coming from the drains was foul water but did not contain sewage.

Rising water also ran into people's front gardens, turning paths and lawns black.

Cllr Fuller added: "The houses in the area have the old air bricks and people are concerned that water ran through the holes and under the house.

"People won't now if there was any serious damage to their property for a while."

The rain has also caused severe problems on the Southern Trains network.

All routes have been affected and disruption is occurring with delays of up to 140 minutes in many area.

Southern tickets are being accepted by Southeastern, Southewestern and First Capital Connect, London Underground and London buses.

A Southern Trains spokesman said: "We are working hard to get services back to normal as soon as possible.

"However we are asking that passengers don't leave to travel home earlier than normal. To do so would put additional pressure on the system, leading to even longer delays to passenger's journeys."

A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said: "We were called out to lots of incidents all over the capital.

"We are still dealing with incidents at this time so we are not in a position to give exact details.

"We have had more than 1000, calls and have attended 300 incidents across London, primarily in the south and south east.

"Early on Sutton, Croydon and Purley were badly hit."

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