Rivers burst their banks and drivers were forced to abandon their cars as parts of Britain saw an entire month's rainfall in a single day. Residents were evacuated from their homes, dozens of schools were closed, roads were blocked and rail services crippled. In the West Midlands, up to 100 factory workers were trapped by rising flood waters. Staff at the WH Smith and Sons toolmakers in Minworth were penned in by water levels 6ft high after the swollen River Tame burst its banks. Fire crews rescued most of the employees by noon but a further 42 remained trapped upstairs in the building's restaurant waiting for the water to recede. Among them was Jean Owen, 36, who said: 'Water started to come in from everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. It was like a disaster movie.
In Essex, motorists had to be rescued from their cars after flash floods left many roads submerged. Up to 3ft of water had to be pumped away from country lanes in Ongar, Brentwood and Chelmsford. Among the worst-hit areas was Edgbaston in Birmingham, which received more than 3.5in of rain in just 24 hours - more than its estimated average rainfall for June. (Daily Mail Uk)
