People rehomed after ‘catastrophic’ flash floods in Kent

School students have been evacuated, 21 people moved to temporary accommodation and a hospital has advised people seeking treatment to stay away after storms caused significant flash floods in Kent.

East Kent Hospitals Trust said Buckland Hospital in Dover had been hit by flooding following overnight thunderstorms, which was impacting services.

It urged people who want to use the Urgent Treatment Centre to go elsewhere and asked patients due to attend renal, radiology, maternity and other outpatient appointments not to visit over the weekend.

The extreme weather hit Kent at around 22:00 BST on Friday, flooding homes and businesses.

Claire Persall, chair of the trustees at The Duke Of York’s Royal Military School in Gunston, told the BBC 120 sixth form students had to be evacuated at around midnight after their dormitory was hit by “catastrophic” floods.

She said the pupils, some of whom have upcoming exams, had to pile their belongings on beds to protect them.

Dover District Council said it “worked tirelessly through the night… to manage the severe disruption caused by exceptional rainfall”.

The authority said it had opened a rest centre and was prioritising public safety, clean-up operations and recovery efforts.

Kent Police shut the A256 in Tilmanstone, where one driver was seen sitting on the roof of their car after getting stuck in flood water.

Michael Ford, from Dover, told the BBC it was the “worst storm in years”.

“I can’t remember one that bad since I was a child and I am 43 now,” he said, adding that it had been a “rough evening for some”.

Video footage shared with the BBC showed fast-flowing flood water running through Ramsgate High Street during the storm.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to flooding incidents in East Kent, including flooded properties in Dover on Folkestone Road and Maison Dieu Road.

Fire engines also attended East Street, London Road, Park Place, Homestead Road and the High Street throughout the night and early hours of Saturday morning, it added.

Firefighters, alongside volunteers and partner agencies, cleared properties of flood water and assisted affected residents, the service added.

Stagecoach cancelled late-night bus services between Dover and Canterbury “due to severe flooding”.

The Met Office had warned that thunderstorms were likely across parts of Kent and Sussex from Friday evening until 05:00.

More than 30,000 lightning strikes were recorded by the weather agency across the UK.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms were expected to ease slightly throughout Saturday, with the driest and brightest weather in the South East.