Police have evacuated more than a dozen houses after a giant sinkhole opened up in a residential street in Hemel Hempstead.

Hertfordshire Constabulary said people were moved out of 17 homes in and around Oatridge Gardens for safety, although it has "mainly affected" the road.

The chasm, which is approximately 35ft wide and 20ft deep, could have been caused by rainwater washing away soil underneath the tarmac.

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Police are assessing the situation with Dacorum Borough Council, specialist structural engineers and utilities companies.

Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging people to avoid the area.

The hole opened up after a night of gales and torrential rain from the latest Atlantic storm to hit Britain.

Two people died yesterday in the extreme conditions and thousands of homes are without power, while flooded communities continue to battle rising water levels.

Another sinkhole in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, swallowed a car earlier this month.

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Storms batter the UK Show all 35 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Storms batter the UK 1/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Huge waves break over the Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast as another Altlantic storm hits Great Britain in Newhaven 2/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A miniature sandstorm whipped up unusually high winds blows across the breakwater next to the Perch Rock lighthouse in New Brighton 3/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves crash over the Longships Lighthouse just off Lands End in Cornwall 4/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves crash over cliffs at Sennen Cove near Lands End in Cornwall 5/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A woman watches the rough sea in Aberystwyth, west Wales 6/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves break at Porthleven in Cornwall 7/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves break at Porthleven in Cornwall 8/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Newhaven Lighthouse is battered by waves during stormy weather in Newhaven on the southern coast of England 9/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A car sits on flood water on a flooded property at Burrowbridge on the Somerset Levels 10/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Flood water is seen pumped into the river at the pumping station near Fordgate on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater Getty Images 11/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Waves crash against the seafront and the railway line that has been closed due to storm damage at Dawlish, Devon Getty Images 12/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge waves break over the railway in Dawlish, causing damage. High tides and strong winds have created havoc in the Devonshire town PA 13/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge length of railway track is exposed and left hanging after the sea wall collapsed in Dawlish PA 14/35 Storms continue to batter the UK People stand by beach huts that have been damaged by the storm waves at Dawlish Getty Images 15/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge wave breaks behind a car, which sits in seawater on a flooded street by the sea wall railway in Dawlish PA 16/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Beach huts that have been damaged by the storm waves at Dawlish Getty Images 17/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Spectators watch as waves break over the harbour wall at Porthcawl, Wales, during a high tide Getty Images 18/35 High tides, rain And strong winds in Wales Waves crash up against the sea defences at Aberystwyth during high tide and high winds on 2 February 19/35 Stormy waves in England Stormy waves roll in to the shore and break along the seafront at Porthcawl Getty Images 20/35 High tide waves in Wales High tide waves break along the seafront at Porthcawl in Mid Glamorgon, Wales Getty Images 21/35 Flooding in England Flood water surrounds the Plough Inn besides the River Severn at Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire Getty 22/35 Flooded streets in Kent A man looks on as a car passes on a flooded road in the village of Yalding in Kent AFP 23/35 Storm damage in Wales Locals discover a new path to the sea after storm force winds damaged the walls of the promenade in Aberystwyth, west Wales EPA 24/35 Floods in England A flood warning sign in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire AFP 25/35 Storm damage in Surrey A fallen tree blocks a road in Epsom, Surrey Getty 26/35 Huge waves in Wales Waves crash against the lighthouse wall in Porthcawl EPA 27/35 High tides in Scotland A train passes along the coast at Saltcoats in Scotland, as a combination of high tides, heavy rains and strong winds are expected to bring yet more severe flooding to many parts of the country PA 28/35 Storm in Wales Around the country: Waves batter the debris-ridden promenade in Aberystwyth, West Wales 29/35 Floods in Scotland Waves break near a house in Saltcoats in Scotland as Britain is braced for further bad weather PA 30/35 Flooding in Wales Holiday chalets at Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park are surrounded by flood water caused by high tides in Kidwelly, West Wales 31/35 weather8-gt.jpg A car drives through flood water on the A361, which has been closed to traffic due to flooding, at Burrowbridge 32/35 weather9-pa.jpg A car tackles flood waters near Headcorn, Kent 33/35 River Wey floods Flooding near the river Wey in Guildford, Surrey 34/35 Blackpool flooding Waves crash over Blackpool seafront 35/35 Huge waves at Tyne and Wear Surfers brave the waves at Tynemouth 1/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Huge waves break over the Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast as another Altlantic storm hits Great Britain in Newhaven 2/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A miniature sandstorm whipped up unusually high winds blows across the breakwater next to the Perch Rock lighthouse in New Brighton 3/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves crash over the Longships Lighthouse just off Lands End in Cornwall 4/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves crash over cliffs at Sennen Cove near Lands End in Cornwall 5/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A woman watches the rough sea in Aberystwyth, west Wales 6/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves break at Porthleven in Cornwall 7/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Storm waves break at Porthleven in Cornwall 8/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Newhaven Lighthouse is battered by waves during stormy weather in Newhaven on the southern coast of England 9/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A car sits on flood water on a flooded property at Burrowbridge on the Somerset Levels 10/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Flood water is seen pumped into the river at the pumping station near Fordgate on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater Getty Images 11/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Waves crash against the seafront and the railway line that has been closed due to storm damage at Dawlish, Devon Getty Images 12/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge waves break over the railway in Dawlish, causing damage. High tides and strong winds have created havoc in the Devonshire town PA 13/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge length of railway track is exposed and left hanging after the sea wall collapsed in Dawlish PA 14/35 Storms continue to batter the UK People stand by beach huts that have been damaged by the storm waves at Dawlish Getty Images 15/35 Storms continue to batter the UK A huge wave breaks behind a car, which sits in seawater on a flooded street by the sea wall railway in Dawlish PA 16/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Beach huts that have been damaged by the storm waves at Dawlish Getty Images 17/35 Storms continue to batter the UK Spectators watch as waves break over the harbour wall at Porthcawl, Wales, during a high tide Getty Images 18/35 High tides, rain And strong winds in Wales Waves crash up against the sea defences at Aberystwyth during high tide and high winds on 2 February 19/35 Stormy waves in England Stormy waves roll in to the shore and break along the seafront at Porthcawl Getty Images 20/35 High tide waves in Wales High tide waves break along the seafront at Porthcawl in Mid Glamorgon, Wales Getty Images 21/35 Flooding in England Flood water surrounds the Plough Inn besides the River Severn at Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire Getty 22/35 Flooded streets in Kent A man looks on as a car passes on a flooded road in the village of Yalding in Kent AFP 23/35 Storm damage in Wales Locals discover a new path to the sea after storm force winds damaged the walls of the promenade in Aberystwyth, west Wales EPA 24/35 Floods in England A flood warning sign in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire AFP 25/35 Storm damage in Surrey A fallen tree blocks a road in Epsom, Surrey Getty 26/35 Huge waves in Wales Waves crash against the lighthouse wall in Porthcawl EPA 27/35 High tides in Scotland A train passes along the coast at Saltcoats in Scotland, as a combination of high tides, heavy rains and strong winds are expected to bring yet more severe flooding to many parts of the country PA 28/35 Storm in Wales Around the country: Waves batter the debris-ridden promenade in Aberystwyth, West Wales 29/35 Floods in Scotland Waves break near a house in Saltcoats in Scotland as Britain is braced for further bad weather PA 30/35 Flooding in Wales Holiday chalets at Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park are surrounded by flood water caused by high tides in Kidwelly, West Wales 31/35 weather8-gt.jpg A car drives through flood water on the A361, which has been closed to traffic due to flooding, at Burrowbridge 32/35 weather9-pa.jpg A car tackles flood waters near Headcorn, Kent 33/35 River Wey floods Flooding near the river Wey in Guildford, Surrey 34/35 Blackpool flooding Waves crash over Blackpool seafront 35/35 Huge waves at Tyne and Wear Surfers brave the waves at Tynemouth

Phil Conran said he initially thought his stepdaughter's Volkswagen Lupo might have been stolen when he could not see it out the window, before realising it had disappeared into the ground.