PASSENGERS were hit with travel chaos after roads surrounding a major UK airport were “totally inaccessible”.
Floodwater left motorists “jammed for miles” on their way to Luton Airport this morning after heavy rainfall overnight.
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Holidaymakers travelling to Luton Airport this morning were “jammed for miles” after roads became completely waterlogged over night.
Footage outside the airport showed the “total chaos” as backlogged traffic tried to navigate the flooded areas.
The road was inaccessible for less than 30 minutes, according to a London Luton Airport spokesperson.
The main roundabout appeared to be the worse affected area.
Emergency workers could be seen with equipment to drain the water.
One person shared on social media: “Luton Airport totally inaccessible due to flooding at main roundabout, all roads jammed for miles, will be hours until sorted out, total chaos.”
Luton Airport have confirmed that the airport has been open and fully operational since this morning,
The access road to the terminal is also clear of any flooding, said a Luton Airport spokesperson.
A spokesperson said earlier today: “Due to adverse weather, localised flooding is possible.
“Please allow extra time for your journey to and from the airport.
“Public transport could also be affected. For the latest status of your flight, please contact your airline.”
Gatwick Express also urged rail users to check their journeys.
A spokesperson said: “Due to the consistent overnight rainfall throughout the GTR network, a number of services are expected to be impacted this morning.
“The first services through the areas listen on the next message will report back on current track conditions.
“They will travel their route at reduced speeds, and so will likely run with delays and could be altered at short notice.”
Meanwhile, Footie fans were also disappointed to learn AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting tomorrow has been called off due to “extensive overnight flooding” at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The Dons’ stadium in London is closed as a result, with a rescheduled date yet to be confirmed.
A statement on Wimbledon’s official website read: “We regret to inform supporters that due to extensive overnight flooding of the River Wandle and surrounding areas, including at our Cherry Red Records Stadium, Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Newcastle United has been postponed.
“More information will follow in due course regarding fixture rearrangement.
“The stadium is closed until further notice.”
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The Overground and some Tube lines in London have also been partly suspended due to flooding.
The District Line is not running between Turnham Green and Richmond, while the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are suspended between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
And, there is no Overground service between South Acton and Richmond, while severe delays on the Bakerloo Line, and Metropolitan line between Rayners Lane and Harrow-on-the-Hill is affecting users.
It comes as The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for parts of England today.
As of 7.40am, 13 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – were issued for England by the Environment Agency.
Areas affected by the flood warnings include Atherstone in Warwickshire, Leighton Buzzard and Luton in Bedfordshire and parts of London including Wimbledon and South Ruislip.
The Met Office also placed parts of Wales, much of the south of England, the Midlands and into north-west England and Yorkshire under a yellow rain warning.
An amber warning came into force at 5am this morning and will last until 9pm, sweeping over Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull.
And, some affected areas could see a whopping 100 to 120mm of rain today.
Environment Agency flood duty manager Sarah Cook said “persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms” could lead to some property flooding and travel disruption.
She said: “Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England.
“The impacts could include localised flooding in urban areas and fast-responding catchments, including some property flooding as well as travel disruption. The risk from river flooding remains low.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and ready to support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.
“We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates.”
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey previously told the PA news agency that Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and up towards the Wash and the Humber could see over a month’s worth of rain falling on Monday.
Police have confirmed a number of road closures across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire following “substantial flooding” overnight.
Heavy rainfall on Sunday into Monday has seen areas such as Dunstable and Hitchin partially submerged.
Bedfordshire Police said it had closed off part of Dunstable High Street due to “substantial flooding”, with footage shared on social media showing cars battling high water around the Saracen’s Head pub.
Central Bedfordshire Council said flooding had also hit Flitwick, Cranfield and Marston Moretaine.
North Hertfordshire Police have also advised motorists to avoid some parts of Hitchin, including Walsworth Road near the town centre.
Meanwhile, storms over the weekend saw lightning trigger a terrifying explosion in Stoke-on-Trent.
Firefighters and police were called to Bambury Street in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, before a cordon went up and homes were evacuated.
And, shocking footage in a Hampshire town showed the moment a tornado swept in and wreaked havoc.
Two blocks of flats were among homes damaged by winds that also felled several trees in Aldershot on Friday.
Another twister was also captured on video in Bedfordshire, Luton yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, a man from Northamptonshire described the moment he saw a “wave of water” heading towards him during flooding on Sunday night.
Tim Maher and his partner Carol Findon, from Grendon, saw their two-storey home partially submerged overnight with more than a foot of water.
Mr Maher told the PA news agency: “We’ve had an awful lot of rain in recent days and some forecasters were warning we could see a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
“I have an app on my phone which tracks river levels and at around 8.45pm it rocketed up.
“I decided to drive down to the bridge and saw the water breaking the banks and coming down the road towards me.
“I quickly turned around, drove home and put up a flood barrier we’ve got up against the door. It kept out a lot of the water but we’ve had about an inch overnight.
“We’ve had some damage to the carpets, settees and other furniture. The most difficult bit will be drying out the structure.
“We haven’t had much sleep and at least eight houses on our road have been impacted. It would be nice to get a permanent solution to this problem.”
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