Flash flooding as thunder storms batter parts of England

Two schools successful Devon person been affected by flash flooding.

Tipton St John Primary School, adjacent Otter St Mary, and Woodbury Salterton Primary School were impacted during storms, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.

Devon County Council's highways squad said it had received "reports of lasting h2o crossed the region owed to the dense rain".

It added determination were problems successful Exeter "due to flooding and stuck vehicles".

Michelle Teissier, landlady of Tipton's Golden Lion pub, said the River Otter burst its banks and h2o started rising astatine astir 14:20.

She said: "A mates by a model asked if the h2o extracurricular was normal.

"We said it wasn't, and it conscionable started to emergence and rise.

"It got knee-high connected the roadworthy and was half-way up retired room door."

She added radical had inactive been trying to thrust done the colony erstwhile the h2o was high, though it started to subside by astir 17:10.

"All our carpets were deed and there's brackish everywhere, though we managed to rise the chairs.

"Hopefully, it'll beryllium conscionable dehumidifiers and cleaning truthful we tin effort and unfastened arsenic rapidly arsenic we can."

Grace Whiteman, who runs Pride Hair Studio successful Newton Poppleford, said: "I've lived present my full beingness and benignant of astir this country and I've ne'er seen it similar that."

Hilary Penfold, besides successful Newton Poppleford, said a 6ft (1.8m) precocious factual partition and a ceramic outbuilding were demolished by h2o moving disconnected fields, which besides jammed their car against a wall.

She said: "It was similar a large tidal question coming down. Nothing could halt it.

"I've lone seen specified tempest harm connected films. I've ne'er seen thing similar this for real, and I wouldn't privation anyone to spell done it."

Parents of children astatine Tipton St John Primary School were told they should not spell to the schoolhouse due to the fact that of flooded roads, it was reported connected societal media.

Staff said the children were kept harmless and they worked to support them calm.

Witness Alex Wren said helium saw immoderate children being fixed piggy-back rides to support them retired of the water.

He said "torrential force" water, reaching 60-70cm (2ft to 2ft 3ins) high, were the "worst I've seen surviving present for 18 years."

Devon highways bosses said sections of Honiton Road and Sidmouth Road successful Exeter had been blocked "between East Wonford Hill and Hill Barton Road, owed to flooding and stuck vehicles".

Firefighters said they had received "widespread" calls for assistance owed to flooding aft reports started coming successful from astir 13:00 BST.

It said determination had been respective vehicles flooded and stranded successful Newton Poppleford.

Five homes were flooded successful Honiton Road successful Exeter, with 2ft (60cm) of h2o extracurricular and 1ft (30cm) of h2o inside.

Woodbury Salterton Primary School had besides been flooded, arsenic good arsenic the the Methodist Church successful Newton Poppleford, the occurrence work added.

East Devon MP Simon Jupp said helium had been "monitoring the atrocious flooding crossed East Devon and I person raised my concerns with Devon County Council".