A London party boat has sunk and 50 people have been moved to safety in Hackney Wick after heavy rain and flooding hit the capital.
The city was ravaged by a deluge on Thursday, amid a yellow weather warning for rain from the Met Office across south-east England.
A total of 302 flood warnings remained in force across England on Friday, with forecasters predicting showers could continue.
Great Western Rail said "major disruptions" to train services were expected until late Friday as several routes were closed by flooding.
A landslide at Arlesey in Bedfordshire also affected Thameslink services.
An RNLI lifeboat, police and fire vessels were taken to Temple Pier in central London at around 12.30pm on Thursday after a party boat moored there sank.
A spokesperson for the Bar & Co boat, a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub, said: "It is believed it sank due to weather conditions."
NAVIGATIONAL WARNING
M02-24 - Kings Reach - Navigational Warning - Sunken Ship Temple Pier
Sailors are told that a ship has sunk inside Temple Pier. Sailors are asked to pass Temple Pier with great caution.
➡️ https://t.co/HYjhdxxtPN pic.twitter.com/0l004b82Mo
- Port of London Authority (@LondonPortAuth) January 4, 2024
A Coastguard spokesman said: "On January 4, a restaurant barge sank off Temple Pier in London.
"The alarm was raised around 12.30 pm and everyone has been informed."
The Port of London Authority has advised ships to pass Temple Pier with "great caution".
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were later called to Hackney Road in east London amid severe flooding on Smeed Road after a canal burst its banks.
Water flooded around 10 hectares of land in the Hackney Wick area, the London Fire Brigade said, damaging properties.
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A security cordon was set up while the brigade worked to divert floodwaters.
Firefighters conducted welfare checks on about 100 people who were able to remain in their unaffected properties, while about 50 people were taken to safety.
One resident told the Standard how she returned to her flat to find herself knee-deep in water.
Simone said: "I was at the gym and came back to my flat. It was up to my knee height. It was crazy. I cannot say anything about the extent of the damage for the time being. This is the first time this has happened. But I have to rush to work and work a shift before I can come home to clean."
Station Commander Dan Capon, who attended the scene, said: "Firefighters worked through the night to ensure the scene was safe and evacuated a number of people from surrounding buildings.
"We have urged people to avoid the area where possible. Remember, if your property has been affected by flooding, move to a higher level where possible. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. Follow the advice from the operator."
Experts have warned that the impact of surface water and river flooding in parts of England will remain "significant" after the heavy rainfall.
Great Western Railway reported "significant disruption" to its network on Friday morning and advised customers to check their journeys before traveling.
"Flooding has closed several routes and an incident occurred near Reading yesterday," said a statement on the GWR website.
"Major disruption is expected throughout the day."
Good morning
We are experiencing significant disruptions to the network. CHECK BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.
Flooding and a serious incident at Reading last night, which saw police take control of the line, have left trains and crew in the wrong place. We are sorry for the...
- GWR (@GWRHelp) January 5, 2024
It reported flooding at eight locations on its network, which serves 270 stations, and warned that trains could be cancelled, severely delayed or diverted. Lines between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Reading and Castle Cary, and Liskeard and Looe were all closed. GWR and Elizabeth scheduled services will continue to operate between London Paddington and Reading, GWR said.
The A41 dual carriageway in Brent Cross was flooded late on Thursday.
Flooding at Kensal Rise station led to disruption, but Network said shortly before 8am on Friday that trains were starting to run normally between Richmond and Clapham Junction and Gospel Oak.
A major incident was declared on Thursday amid widespread flooding in the Midlands.
Caroline Douglass, the Environment Agency's flood director, said the River Trent in Nottinghamshire was at "one of the highest levels we have seen in 24 years".
She told BBC Breakfast that more than 1,000 properties were flooded across England this week, and this number was likely to increase.
"We've had a lot of rain," she said.
"In November and December, after Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated across the country, especially in the east.
"But that was also simply supplemented in the period before Christmas. This week's rainfall has only added to that, so the water has nowhere to go.
"The ground is completely saturated, so in that situation we're going to have more flooding and bigger impacts than we've ever seen and probably in areas where people aren't used to."
The yellow weather warning was in force across southern England until 3am on Friday morning.
But forecasters say the showers will continue until Friday morning and are likely to affect parts of south-west and eastern England, Wales and areas of Scotland.
Stefan Laeger, from the Environment Agency, said: "Significant impacts from surface water and river flooding are possible in parts of the Midlands and the south and east of England on Thursday and Friday due to heavy localized rainfall on already highly saturated catchments.
"There is also likely to be minor impacts across much of England over the next five days as some larger rivers respond slowly to recent and forecast rain."
The highest rainfall totals recorded on Thursday were 35.2mm at Otterbourne in Hampshire, with a wide range of 20-30mm across much of England's southern counties.
It comes just days after the disruption caused by high winds and rain from Storm Henk, leaving the ground saturated and more susceptible to flooding.
Nottinghamshire County Council said it was a major incident "due to rising water levels along the River Trent" and that residents living in flood risk areas should be prepared to evacuate their homes.
It added that forecasts showed that peaks along the River Trent "could be close to the highest levels ever recorded from the year 2000", adding that residents in areas along the Trent Valley should "be prepared are prone to flooding".
A man left stranded on the roof of his shed by flooding was rescued by a crew from Highfields Fire Station, who used a boat to bring him safely to shore.
In a statement, Nottinghamshire County Council said: "The main tributaries that flow into the River Trent, including the River Derwent, the River Soar and the River Dove, have already reached their peaks and high water levels are now expected to rise along the Trent flow. will likely result in flooding of properties and roads.
"Residents living in flood risk areas are asked to ensure they make preparations in case they are asked to evacuate. Councils, emergency services and the Environment Agency have provided emergency assistance to affected communities and will continue to provide support across the province."
Several residents of Radcliffe Residential Park, an estate with mobile homes for over-55s just east of the city, were evacuated due to high water levels.
