Cars have been completely submerged by flooding as heavy rain wreaked havoc in south London this afternoon.

Firefighters have rescued drivers from cars in dramatic scenes as flash floods hit Wallington.

Pictures posted on social media show at least three cars submerged under the railway bridge in Manor Road and people submerged in deep water. 

One driver was forced to climb out of the window of his Mercedes after passers-by smashed a window to help rescue him.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it had been called flash flooding and lightning strikes in Carshalton, Wallington, Mitcham and Croydon.

Maintenance are pumping water out of Manor Road, where highways inspectors said the flooding was the worst seen in years.

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Cars have been submerged in water in Manor Road, Wallington (photo: What's On In Sutton)

Graham Price, whose Mercedes became rapidly submerged after the car in front of him stalled, said: "The water wasn't that deep so I waited and what started off as an annoyance quickly turned quite frightening.

"I saw [the driver in front] got out of the car and the water was knee deep and that's when I clocked what was happening.

"I rang the fire brigade and saw that the car the other driver had left had floated on top of mine.

"The water started to come in on one side and continued coming in quickly.

"I then told the fire brigade I had to go and I knocked on the window at some lads as the water came up past the chair.

"To be fair to the teenagers that saved me it took some nous to put a brick through the window to save me.

"It would have been an unceremonious sight to see me swim out from my own car."

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A LFB spokesman said: “We are attending a number of incidents in Wallington and across Sutton this afternoon.

“Three cars were under two metres of water in Manor Road, two people were rescued before we attended and one was rescued later rescued by fire fighters."

Flood levels reached as high as two metres under the railway bridge.

London Ambulance Service has also been called to the road.

A spokesman said “We were called to reports of a person in distress due to a flash flood incident.

“We sent an ambulance crew and a single responder by car to the scene, arriving in three minutes.

“We checked over a man at the scene but he was not taken to hospital.”

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Crews have also been sent to Acre Lane, St Paul’s Close and Peterborough Road, all in Carshalton, to reports of flash flooding.

Firefighters also put out a telegraph pole that had caught fire in Mollison Drive, Wallington, after it was struck by lightning.

Police have advised people to avoid Wallington town centre after flash floods this afternoon led to three vehicles becoming submerged under the railway bridge in Manor Road.

The water is so deep only the top of the vehicles can be seen.

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LAS were called to reports of a person in distress. (Photo: @Sizesevens)

Police have cordoned off the road either side of bridge. London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service are also in attendance.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Emergency Services and Sutton Council are working together to resolve the issue. Council contractors are on site and assisting.

"There have been no reports of any injuries."

Police have also received a report of a drain hole cover missing in Stafford Road.

Flooding is also causing traffic chaos in southern parts of Crodyon.

Surface water is causing delays in Purley Road at Purley Cross and Brighton Road in Purley.

Caterham Drive at the junction of Keston Avenue in Old Coulsdon and Chaldon Way at the junction of Mead Way have been blocked due to flooding.

The torrential rain flooded a bowling green on Marlpit Lane in Coulsdon and surrounding roads.

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Marlpit Lane in Coulsdon is flooded. (Photo: Karen Greaves)

Bus routes 404, CR5 and 60 through Couldson, 127 and 201 through Mitcham and 127, 151, 157, 410, 455, 463, S4 through Wallington are subject to delays and diversions.

Southern train services are running at a reduced speed through Wallington due to the heavy flooding.

LFB said it had been called to more than 200 flooding-related 999 calls this afternoon and had had than three times as many emergency calls than was typical.

Have you been affected by the floods? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6351 or email chris.baynes@newsquest.co.uk