More than a dozen houses have been evacuated after a giant sinkhole opened up in a street in Hemel Hempstead.
Police said that the Oatridge Gardens residents were moved out of 17 homes for safety reasons, although the collapse has “mainly affected” the road.
The hole, which is around 20ft deep and 35ft wide, is believed to have been caused by rain water washing away soil underneath the tarmac.
A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: "The hole, which is in a residential cul-de-sac, has mainly affected the road. However, 17 properties have been evacuated for the safety of residents in the area."
Police were told the sink hole had appeared in the road at 7.30am. Officers are at the scene.
Officials from Dacorum Borough Council, specialist structural engineers and utilities companies are also helping to assess the situation.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service are advising people to avoid the area.
Britain’s road and rail networks were thrown into disarray after last night’s storms, with hundreds of trees uprooted across roads and rail tracks.
Services out of London's Paddington station remain restricted with 20 per cent in operation as a result of flooding at Maidenhead, Berkshire, Network Rail has said.
South West Trains cancelled all services due to problems caused by the severe weather, although some lines have now been reopened. First Great Western advised passengers not to travel, and has speed restrictions of 50mph across most of its network.
Floods in pictures
