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Stoical Londoners battle downpours and flooding to vote in the EU referendum

A little rain -- or a torrential downpour -- won't stop the Brits.
 By 
Gianluca Mezzofiore
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Stoical Londoners battle downpours and flooding to vote in the EU referendum
A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Downpours and thunderstorms greeted British voters in southeast England on the day they cast their votes in the historic referendum on the UK's membership in the European Union.

Polling stations in some London areas have been flooded after torrential rain hit parts of the capital. The fire brigade took over 550 weather related emergency calls and firefighters attended over 400 incidents overnight. 

SEE ALSO: Dear Brits, let U.S. history show you why it's worth sticking with the EU

Around 60 homes were flooded in Romford, in east London as a month's rain fell in a few hours during the storms. BBC Weather reported there were 1,000 lightning strikes. 

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Several Tube stations across London were closed due to flooding and many lines were affected by delays and closures. 

“A small number of our stations have been closed or part-closed due to flooding, caused by the heavy rain. We’re working to clear the water as quickly as possible so that services can return to normal,” TfL said in a statement.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

However, bad weather did not deter stoical Brits. They battled the elements to reach polling stations, even if that meant being literally carried in the floods, walking on water or queuing for hours: 






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