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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Rochelle Travers and Rachelle Abbott

Storm Henk sees sinking party boats & Hackney Wick flooding - The Standard podcast

Heavy rain and flooding have been causing chaos in London.

A yellow weather warning for rain was issued by the Met Office across south-east England yesterday, as the capital was battered by wet weather.

Great Western Rail said major disruption was expected on its train services until the end of the day today - Friday 5th January - as flooding shut several of its routes.

Elsewhere in the capital on Thursday, a RNLI lifeboat, Met Police, and fire brigade vessels, had to rush to Temple Pier because a party boat sank that was moored there.

Meanwhile, ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to Hackney Road in east London because of severe flooding after a canal burst its banks.

Water flooded around 10 acres of land in the Hackney Wick area, said London Fire Brigade, affecting properties. A safety cordon was put in place as the brigade worked to divert the floodwaters.

Firefighters carried out welfare checks on around 100 people in the area who were able to remain in their unaffected properties, while around 50 people were led to safety.

Station Commander Dan Capon, who was at the scene, said: "Firefighters worked through the night to ensure the scene was safe and evacuated a number of people from surrounding buildings.

"We urged people to avoid the area where possible. Remember - if your property is affected by flooding, move to a higher level where possible. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. Follow the advice of the operator."

The Standard’s William Mata has been reporting from the scene at Hackney Wick. We hear from local residents and business owners who have been affected by the “knee-high” water, and they reveal the damage it’s caused.

You can listen to the episode in the player above, find us on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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