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Parts of Sittingbourne and badly flooded after heavy thunder and rain from remnants of Hurricane Bertha

Parts of Sittingbourne have been affected by flooding as a month's worth of rain fell in less than 12 hours.

There are reports that Asda in Mill Way had to be evacuated due to a leaking roof.

In the Forum Shopping Centre, off the High Street, shops New Look and CeX have had to close due to the stores being flooded.

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Asda Sittingbourne car park. Photo from Gavin Crawford
Asda Sittingbourne car park. Photo from Gavin Crawford

Drains could not cope with torrential downpours that hit at around 11.30am.

Water levels were up to the wheel arches of cars along Crown Quay Lane while Charlotte Street was similarly affected.

Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne. Photo by Harvey Melia
Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne. Photo by Harvey Melia

There were also reports of flooding on the A249 near the Bobbing underpass.

Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway has been forced to close to visitors due to the downpours.

Video: Water comes through the ceiling at Sittingbourne Asda. Courtesy of Charlotte Thurston

Jeremy Procter measures the elements at his home in Cobham Avenue, Sittingbourne, using a weather station giving him accurate, daily information.

He measured 40.4mm of rain up until 1pm which compares with 47.5mm of the wet stuff last August.

He said: "At 11.24am we got a rain rate of 318 mm per hour which is getting on for tropical figures but that didn't last for long.

A shopper braves the rain at Asda Sittingbourne. Photo from Gavin Crawford
A shopper braves the rain at Asda Sittingbourne. Photo from Gavin Crawford

"But compared with some places we got off quite lightly."

Corinne Landen of Gadby Road says water and raw sewage is halfway up her driveway.

She said: "It's gone up to my neighbour's garage. Southern Water have said they are going to send someone out.

"When it rained heavily a few weeks ago it wasn't as bad as this."

On July 20, a month's worth of rain fell in the space of four hours in Sittingbourne and Teynham causing traffic chaos.

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