Two die on London's wettest weekend

Last updated at 12:02 27 November 2006


Two men died on the roads during a weekend of torrential rain and high winds.

The motorists, both in their twenties, were killed in separate early morning accidents in treacherous driving conditions.

In Hertfordshire, a 21-year-old man was thrown onto the M25 carriageway when he lost control of

his Honda CRV between Chorleywood and Maple Cross.

He died shortly afterwards at Watford General Hospital. In Barnet, a man died when his

blue BMW hit a tree on a bend in Russell Lane.

One of his three passengers remains critical in hospital.

Another man died while swimming in the sea at Hastings, East Sussex, yesterday afternoon.

Dover Coastguard said the rough water and 20 knot winds were probably a "contributory factor",

although the exact circumstances are unclear.

He is understood to have been a regular sea swimmer. Elsewhere, heavy downpours across the South left householders mopping up and drivers stranded.

At least 70 houses and 330 gardens were flooded and some motorists had to abandon their cars in 3ft 6in of flood water.

Dozens of roads in Kensington, Knightsbridge and Tottenham were flooded as drains struggled to cope with the rain and autumn leaves. In Essex, flash floods hit Loughton, Abridge and Ongar. On

the A414, between North Weald and Ongar, several stranded motorists were rescued by firefighters

using boats.

They included Wayne Lineker, brother of ex-England football captain Gary, who was trapped in a van with his young son and daughter.

Several other motorists had to be pushed to safety by firefighters after a road under the M11 motorway near Ongar flooded.

A couple and their 10-month-old son were stranded for three hours before being rescued by the RAC.

Weather experts said more than one inch of rain fell in the capital over the weekend, with more in parts of Essex and Hampshire.

Farnborough in Hampshire was the wettest place in the UK, receiving more than an inch and a half of rain over the weekend. It was hit by more than half the average rainfall for November yesterday morning alone, when an inch of

rain fell in a few hours.

A PA WeatherCentre meteorologist said: "It’s the amount that fell in such short spaces of time that was unusual."

Rain is expected again today across the South-East, dying out as the day goes on. But much more will be needed to make up for an 18-month-long drought.

A spokeswoman said: "This autumn has been wetter than average. But we need sustained rain rather than short heavy bursts, to boost ground water levels.

The water needs time to sink in. An inch over the course of a day is better than over a few hours."

Most watched News videos