Man dies after being washed off harbour wall as heavy rain and 60mph winds bring flooding to the South East with beach huts worth thousands of pounds each swept away in Kent
A man has died after being washed off a harbour wall in Ramsgate in Kent as 60mph winds and heavy rain batter parts of Britain.
Kent Police said they were called to the scene in the Royal Harbour, Ramsgate, at around 11.30am this morning to reports three people in the water.
Though all three were recovered, one was later pronounced dead. The other two were taken to hospital for treatment.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: 'It is believed that all three people were washed off the pier by a large wave.'
Kent Police added: 'The death is not being treated as suspicious. Inquiries are ongoing to identify next of kin.'
A number of beach huts in Kent have been smashed or washed away as the stormy weather battered the coast. Many of these small huts cost £1000 to buy and £400 a year to rent the space along the beach
Cars drive along a flooded street near the Thames after the river burst its banks following heavy rain in London and across the South East
Coastguards, RNLI lifeboats, paramedics and police were called to Ramsgate in Kent today after three people fell into the sea. A man was later said to have died at the coast
A beach hut is washed away by the menacing waves in Kent earlier today as the country faces heavy rains and strong winds
Waves crash dramatically over the sea wall at Tynemouth, Northumberland, as the country is battered by spring winds and rains
A huge wave crashes against Seaham Lighthouse in County Durham this afternoon as heavy rains and powerful winds batter the country
A tourist struggles with an umbrella on Westminster Bridge in London as yellow weather warnings for heavy rain and strong winds have been issued for eastern, south-eastern and central England
People shelter under umbrellas as they pass a view of St Paul's Cathedral during wet weather in London today
Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge in Central London as yellow weather warnings for heavy rain and strong winds have been issued for Eastern, South Eastern and Central England
A BMW is submerged in the floodwaters of the Thames after heavy rain and winds battered parts of the country, including the South East of England
Fallen trees blocked roads in Kent, East Anglia and parts of London, and rising floodwater saw some have to be plucked from their vehicles by emergency services.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain and wind for most of the South East, and said so far more than a month's worth of rain had fallen within 24 hours in some places.
Weather conditions in Ramsgate were described as 'atrocious' by the RNLI, with waves reportedly breaking over the harbour wall.
It is understood that the combination of a spring tide and the strong winds caused the large volume of water to batter the coast.
Elsewhere a family of two adults and a baby had to be rescued by Kent Fire and Rescue Service after their car became stuck in flood water on Stickfast Lane, Sutton Valence.
Crews also helped two drivers from separate cars which had broken down in knee-high flood water in Minnis Lane, Dover - moving the vehicles to safety they also removed a fallen tree which was blocking the road.
Met Office Meteorologist Alex Burkill said by 5pm on Monday the largest recorded amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period was in Lenham, Kent with a current total of 57.6mm (2.2 inches), while Canterbury in Kent saw 45.9mm (1.8 inches) and 41.3 mm (1.6 inches) fell in Faversham.
Just to put that into some context, Kent's average April monthly rainfall is 49mm (1.9 inches) so it is fair to say it has seen over a month's worth of rain in a day,' he said.
'And it has not stopped raining yet, we have still got several hours left before it does.'
Mr Burkill said the rain would clear Kent by 10pm with downpours expected to affect East Anglia until about 2am.
As rainfall blighted the South, 54mph gusts of wind were also recorded in Langdon Bay in Kent, with 48mph also seen in Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, Mr Burkill said.
'The rain has affected a good chunk of the South East, East Anglia, London has been on the edge of it, and down to Hampshire,' he said.
'The rest of the UK, the bulk of the UK, has had a pretty decent day.'
The soggy start to the week also came with chilly temperatures, with the mercury struggling to rise above 5C in Kent, Mr Burkill added.
A Coastguard rescue team and an RNLI lifeboat were scrambled to rescue the men who fell into the sea in Ramsgate earlier.
They have not yet been identified.
The men were on the pier which forms part of the harbour wall at Ramsgate when the wave hit them and swept them into the harbour water.
Morning commuters and tourists struggle to cope with the heavy rain at a bus stop on Westminster Bridge this morning
The number 137 bus is at a standstill behind a fallen tree on a road in Streatham, South London, following high winds today
A man's umbrella is turned inside out, while a woman battles through with a Union Jack brolly on Westminster Bridge
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