London flooding: Thames Barrier closed as flood warning issued by Environment Agency

It has been announced that the Thames Barrier will close today, as heavy rain may cause river levels to rise quickly.

The barrier has been closed to stop the defences being breached.

The barrier being closed comes after flood warnings were issued for parts of the river Thames.

The Met Office has forecast a dire day for weather in the capital, with heavy rain set to continue for a large portion of the day.

The Environmental Agency forecasted high tide at Richmond, with the level predicted to be 4.70m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) at 3pm on Monday and then rise to 5.03mAOD at 3am on Tuesday.

AOB is a vertical datum, used to track altitude on maps, and can be very useful for flooding situations, such as this one.

London has recently escaped a Met Office warning, as various parts of England have been issued weather warnings for ice, sleet and snow.

Last year, flash floods caused havoc in London, with residents in Kensington having to evacuate with drainage systems being overwhelmed.

The flash floods occurred in July of last year, and was attributed to climate change.

Mike Woolgar, who chaired the panel for the London Flood Review said: “The extreme flooding London experienced this past summer is likely indicative of events we may see more of under climate change.

“Flooding like this is frightening for those affected and the mess, losses and damages for so many people underlines just how important this review is.”