Heavy rain and thunderstorms have hit New York with flash flood warnings issued throughout the state.

Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency with flash flood warnings covering Central New York and New York City.

“I want to make this point as serious as a heart attack: floods are nothing to play with,” Mr Cuomo said in a statement.

As rounds of storms hit New York City earlier in the week, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the city boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.

Storm Eleanor: in pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor swept across the country overnight, bringing winds of up to 100 mph in places and carrying rain, hail and thunder and lightning AFP/Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures The Thames Barrier has been closed to prevent possible flooding in London Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures Cars are seen in a flooded multi-storey car park as flood waters reached up to 1.5 meters and destroyed multiple cars, in Galway Reuters Storm Eleanor: in pictures Repairs are made to the harbour wall that was damaged by Storm Eleanor in Cornwall Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures A man walks past a fallen tree as it blocks a road in Harrow EPA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor lashed the UK with violent storm-force winds of up to 100mph PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A fence around a building yard fallen on parked card in Tottenham Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures A beach patrol vehicle drives past waves crashing against the breakwater in Blackpool EPA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A trampoline blew away in Leeds Iryna Mi/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car drives along a flooded road in New Brighto REUTERS Storm Eleanor: in pictures A partially collapsed harbour wall in Portreath, Cornwall PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Waves crash over the tidal wall as a motorist travels along the coastal road in New Brighton, north west England AFP/Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures An uprooted tree falls in the front garden of a house in Haringey, North London Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car crushed by falling debris in London Storm Eleanor: in pictures A flooded street in Galway Michael Scott/Twitter/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures The strong winds have caused damage across the UK Storm Eleanor: in pictures Big waves crash over the sea walls in Blackpool PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor at high tide in Weston-Super-Mare Rex Features Storm Eleanor: in pictures Water surrounds parked cars in Galway as storm Eleanor hit Emma Hayward/Twitter/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car driving through flood water in Salthill, Galway The Latin Quarter Galway/PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Workmen clear debris from the roadside after Storm Eleanor damaged an office construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland Getty Storm Eleanor: in pictures Waves crash against the sea wall in Aberystwyth PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Storm Eleanor has caused road disruption PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures A car drives through a flooded car park in Salthill PA Storm Eleanor: in pictures Cars stranded in flood water Emma Hayward/Twitter/PA

According to the National Weather Service, New York’s famed Central Park has had 5.77 inches of rain since 1 August – 3.79 inches over the normal amount of rain for the first two weeks of the month.