Image caption Vehicles became trapped in floodwaters in North Harrow, north-west London

Three children were rescued from the roof of a car when flash floods hit parts of the UK after heavy rain for the second day running.

Torrential downpours in the Midlands and London led to flash floods, with the fire service warning people only to travel in an emergency.

The children had to be rescued after vehicles became trapped in floodwaters in North Harrow, north-west London.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms continue to batter parts of Europe.

Image caption Mohammad Garibdost said his children were crying

Mohammad Garibdost, whose children were rescued in North Harrow, said his car became trapped behind several vehicles in flood water.

He said: "I was behind them so I couldn't move. I had to take my kids from the window because the water was coming up to the seats inside the car, so now we're stuck here, we can't go anywhere until the recovery come and help us.

"I had to open the window to take them out, they were crying.

"I called the emergency line, they said 10 minutes.

"It took me 15 minutes to get through to them, so I had to take the kids out of the car."

At one stage firefighters carried passengers trapped at North Harrow Tube station after floodwaters reached stairs to the two platforms on the Metropolitan Line.

Transport for London said North Harrow Tube station was closed at 17:00 BST, after floodwater reached six inches deep in the ticket office. It has now re-opened.

Two local schools were also flooded as torrential rain hit the area.

Image copyright PA

TfL said no other stations were closed but some, such as Covent Garden, were affected by flooding.

West Midlands Fire Service urged people not to travel and only to call 999 in a genuine emergency, following torrential downpours across the area on Wednesday afternoon.

People took to social media to share images of floods, which included photos of cars being submerged in water.

Image copyright ShadowTaizer Image caption Parts of the West Midlands, including Great Barr in Birmingham, were flooded on Wednesday

Image copyright West Midlands Fire Service Image caption West Midlands Fire Service took these photographs of incidents the service attended

On Tuesday, three drivers had to be rescued in Croydon, south London, after flash floods caused their cars to become submerged.

In Northern Ireland a man and son were taken to hospital after they were struck by lightning in County Antrim.

Matt Martin, forecaster for the MeteoGroup, said the intense showers were being caused by a "convergence across northern parts of England".

He said the "muggy" weather would continue through the night, with temperatures around 13C (55.4F).

"These showers will begin to ease overnight; hopefully they will begin to dry out," he said.

Mr Martin said the mixed weather would continue on Thursday until a fresher air hits overnight on Friday.

The weekend will then begin to cool, Mr Martin added, with more rain and temperatures around 20-21C (68-70F) expected.