FLOOD IN LONDON

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 218, 14 August 1937, Page 9

FLOOD IN LONDON

SUDDEN THUNDERSTORM. TRAFFIC GREATLY DISLOCATED. ROADWAYS DAMAGED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received August 14, 10.45 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 13. London’s spell of dry weather with high temperatures came to a sudden end to-day in thunderstorms, which resulted in sqvere flooding in many districts and caused considerable dislocation to the traffic. Knightsbridgo was flooded at one time to a depth of five feet and the wood blocks in the stretch from the French Embassy to the Egyptian Legation were forced up so as to make the road impassable. The heavy afternoon traffic westwards was diverted through Belgrave Square. • In the West of London, the underground railway traffic was also interrupted by the deluge, which flooded the tracks whore tney emerge from the tunnels. Tho position was particularly had at Acton and Ealing, and the London Passenger Transport Board caused notices to be posted at all stations warning passengers of holdups in the traffic west of' Hammersmith. , . Tho rain fell with tropical violence in Barnet and the traffic was held up by kerb-high floods. In the lowest part of the district the drains could nos cope with the storm water, and the manhole covers blew up and the water poured out in six feet high columns, flooding the houses. Kilburn was another district which suffered severely. . . . The damage by lightning was slight and the London Fire Brigade had only one call as a result of the storm, which raged round and over London for most of the morning and the afteinoon.