Around 100 outpatients are being evacuated from a London hospital after a power outage due to flooding with planned surgery and appointments axed.
A whole block at Whipps Cross is currently without power, with patients being transferred to St Bartholomew's Hospital, Royal London and Homerton.
The site's basement was flooded causing damage to the electrical system, St Bart's NHS Trust has confirmed.
Ambulances are also being diverted to other hospitals to relieve pressure, while elective surgery and outpatient appointments have been cancelled.
However, the emergency department at Whipps Cross remains open for walk-ins but patients requiring urgent treatment are asked to go elsewhere if possible.
Have you been affected by the situation at Whipps Cross or Newham hospitals? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk
It comes after the hospital, as well sister site Newham both declared critical incidents last night as the rain continued to pour.
A spokesperson for the trust said this morning: “We are continuing to experience operational issues at Whipps Cross Hospital due to the heavy rainfall yesterday.
"We cancelled all planned surgery and outpatient appointments for today, and are diverting ambulances while we work hard to clean up affected areas of the hospital. We are keeping the situation under constant review and will post updates about services as necessary.
“Meanwhile we cleaned all areas affected by the flooding at Newham Hospital yesterday and its emergency department is now open to people needing emergency care.
“We are working closely with other hospitals across the Barts Health group to maintain patient care, and asking the public to check the latest visiting arrangements for each hospital on our website before coming to any site.”
Last night, extra staff were having to be called in to help mitigate the crisis, according to reports.
The flash floods across the capital came amid more than double July's average monthly rainfall fall in the space of a few hours on Sunday.
Cars were left stranded in rising floodwater, Tube stations had to be shut, while residents were caught short in waist-high waters in parts of the city.
At Pudding Mill Lane DLR station in Stratford – one of several to be shut due to flooding – video footage showed torrents of water gushing in.
A multitude of roads were left under water, from Sutton and Camberwell to Walthamstow and Barking.
Workers at the Stratford Centre scrambled to sweep away water after downpours hit, while flooded underpasses in places such as Walthamstow, Kingston and Worcester Park were impassable.
A total of nine London Underground stations were closed, including Covent Garden, North Greenwich, Pudding Mill Lane and Stepney Green.
In Hackney Wick stranded bus passengers had to be rescued by a dinghy after the bus got into trouble in the high waters.
The Met Office has warned more flooding is 'likely' after an amber weather warning remained in place throughout yesterday evening.
It is the second time in less than a month that parts of London have been affected by flooding.
On July 13, several areas of West and South London were swarmed by flash floods which ruined houses and destroyed businesses.
Whipps Cross posted just after 9pm on Monday: "We're currently experiencing operational issues due to the heavy rainfall.
"Please use an alternative A&E if possible. Thank you!"
