EU referendum: What to do if your polling station is flooded

The day of the EU referendum has finally arrived – bringing torrential rain with it.

The heavens opened overnight and parts of the UK were left flooded, including polling stations, where voters had hoped to make one of the most important decisions about the country's future in a generation.

This morning, Kingston Council announced it had to close two of its stations because of the weather, but assured voters that they could vote elsewhere.

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"There has been heavy rainfall overnight resulting in flooding at a number of polling places, including Devon Way in Chessington, which has had to close. This polling station has been moved to the Hook Centre, so if you were due to vote at Devon Way, please go to the Hook Centre on Hook Road instead," it said.

The council later made a similar statement, directing voters heading to the Shiraz Mirza polling station to Malden Manor Children's Centre on Lawrence Avenue.

Voters on Twitter posted photographs of swamped roads, with one person saying they had to be "carried in" to their polling station.

Despite the poor weather, many tweeters believe their local stations are busier than in previous elections.

Torrential rain and flooding cause travel chaos

23 June

London and south-east England have been hit with torrential downpours and flooding on the morning of the EU referendum.

The London Fire Brigade said it received 300 calls between 1.30am and 3am, the same number it normally gets in a whole day. People reported being stuck in vehicles and flooded at home.

Red "immediate action" flood warnings were issued for parts of London and Essex, with the capital "expected to see a month’s rainfall in a matter of hours", reports The Guardian.

Almost an inch of rain fell in one hour in Bexley, south-east London, close to half the June average, while in Battersea, flood waters rose steadily and were knee-height in ground-floor homes on one street, says The Independent.

Rush-hour commuters faced severe delays and closures, with several Tube stations closed because of the flooding. Southern railway, South West Trains and Transport for London Rail all reported severe delays.

A "plume of moist, warm and very unstable air" saw 6,000 lightning strikes in the UK and northern France, said Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar.

The inclement conditions are expected to stay in the south-east, with much of the country seeing spells of fine and settled weather.

Conditions are expected to brighten on Friday, but forecasts are varied for the weekend.

Meanwhile, polling stations have been doing all they can to remain open despite the torrential downpours, although by mid-morning, Kingston Council were warning voters that they had been forced to close offices in Chessington and Malden Manor.

People have taken to Twitter to show the level of flooding at their local stations.