Less than two weeks after heavy downpours saw roads and homes flooded in northwest and southwest London, London Fire Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took more than 1,000 calls during the capital’s second bout of widespread flooding on Sunday.

Firefighters attended hundreds of incidents after flood water affected areas such as Kingston, Redbridge, and Leytonstone. These included rescuing people stranded in cars, basement floodings and reports of ceilings collapsing.

In Worcester Park, firefighters rescued three adults and two children who were trapped after their car became stuck in one metre of flood water under the railway bridge.

Station Officer Andrew Cuthbert, who was at the scene, said: “When we arrived, there were two cars in the water. One car was already submerged, and another car had broken down in the water with a family inside.

“The sheer volume of water meant that it was also coming up through the drains and sewers and our rescue team wearing dry suits used an inflatable rescue boat to bring them to safety from the window of the car.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt, but these types of incidents can be avoided if people familiarise themselves with what to do if you’re caught in a flood.

“After rescuing the family from the car, we also had to speak to local people playing and even kayaking in the flood water. Hidden hazards beneath the surface and contaminated water can make driving or walking through flood waters very dangerous. We were seeing drain covers being lifted by the water, which could not only cause cars to become stuck, but could also seriously injure people walking through. If you’re unsure about the depth of the water, look for landmarks as to where the water has come up to. If you can’t see the pavement, don’t risk it.”