FLASH flooding in Minety turned a 60-metre stretch of the road at Moor Corner into a river today.

Resident Nigel Price said: “We can't get out of the house. Part of the front garden is under water.”

The Met Office issued a weather warning today, saying: "Be aware of the potential for localised surface water flooding and difficult driving conditions."

And the chief forecaster said: "The areas of rain, some heavy, across southern parts of England and Wales will turn more showery by afternoon, whilst at the same time heavy and possibly thundery showers develop.

"There is the potential for these to become slow moving in some places, most likely across the southwest Midlands, southeast Wales and and the West Country, leading to 15-25mm of rain within an hour very locally, and perhaps 40mm or more in a few hours.

"However, there is still some uncertainty over exactly where these will develop and most places will not experience these slow moving intense showers. Where they do occur, hail and lightning are also possible."

Meanwhile the torrential rain has resulted in the cancellation of one of the main celebrations marking the Queen's 90th birthday. Downpours blighted much of south-eastern England overnight, with Kew Gardens experiencing the wettest six-hour period, clocking nearly 1in (23.6mm) of rain.

Steven Keates, from the Met Office, said across southern, central and western Britain it has been a "pretty soaking night" with some "intense downpours".

The Royal Windsor Horse Show, hosting one of the main celebrations for the Queen's Birthday across the four-day event, was also hit. A water-logged public and lorry car park forced the cancellation of the first day of equine eventing.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokeswoman confirmed that the Docklands Light Railway service was suspended between Deptford Bridge and Lewisham due to flooding caused by heavy rain.

Mr Keates added: "This wet weather will gradually work its way south and west over the course of this morning and into the afternoon.

"There is scope for some heavy thundery showers around this afternoon. There will be some sunshine around and temperatures will be in the high teens giving it a humid feel."

Looking ahead to the rest of the week he said there is an "improving picture" across the country with the potential for some showers in the south-west.

Temperatures could reach the low 20s tomorrow with these dropping by the weekend to the seasonal average of the mid to low teens.