A flood warning has been issued for the River Wandle as Croydon braces itself for a very wet and windy day across the borough.

A yellow weather warning for wind and rain is in place for the entirety of today (April 30) and forecasters are warning it could lead to the river bursting its banks.

The flood warning on the gov.uk website, reads: "We issued a flood alert pre-emptively due to heavy rainfall expected through Monday, April 30.

"Levels on the River Wandle are expected to rise in response to this rainfall. Flooding is possible for low lying land and roads in the areas close to the river.

"Flooding could be seen as soon as 15 to 30 minutes after initial rainfall. Surface water flooding should be possible, however property flooding is not currently expected at this stage.

"Take care near the areas of concern and monitor your local weather conditions. We are constantly monitoring river levels and have staff in the area checking for, and clearing, blockages in this location."

The weather warning covers all of south east England

Gusts of wind of up to 50mph and 8cm of rain are also possible in the south east of the country, with power cuts and flooding a likely consequence.

The Met Office warned: "Spray and flooding is likely to result in difficult driving conditions and possibly some road closures, as well as delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

"Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings. Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services.

"Some damage to trees and other structures may occur. Some roads and bridges may close.

"We urge anyone leaving their homes today to be cautious as the wet and windy weather could lead to treacherous driving and pavement conditions."

Today's bout of bad weather is thankfully brief as tomorrow (Tuesday) is looking dry and sunny, with temperatures rising significantly to 14 degrees.

Then after some light rain on Wednesday a spell of pleasant weather is on the cards, with a mini-heatwave being forecast for the bank holiday weekend, as temperatures rise to 20 degrees by Sunday.