Commuters trying to take the trains home will be hit by delays and cancellations due to the storm in south east London.

Lightning has hit the line in Charlton, resulting in signalling failures that means trains had to be brought to a standstill.

Meanwhile in Erith, while the train station itself is fine, flooding on the road outside the station has disrupted people trying to get in and out.

Trains on the Bromley North branch to and from Grove Park are suspended due to train faults, as have trains to Slade Green via Bexleyheath.

The Network Rail South East Twitter account explained that they couldn't run the trains through floodwater due to a number of reasons, including the 750 volt electric tracks.

Network Rail tweeted: "Moving water above track level means there is already several feet of it below the track, in the ballast stones that support the railway. That movement can dislodge the stones and until the water recedes we can't check to see if the track has been undermined by the flow.

"In Kent the lines are mostly electrified with 750+Volts from the conductor rail, which is unfortunately located at ground level. In addition train detection is mostly done using "track circuits" which run a low-power electric current through the rails.

"Flood the railway, and you short circuit the signalling, and the power too. You really, really don't want to walk into water with a live 750v rail stuck in it."