Flooding as thousands of west London homes affected by burst water main

It led to homes being evacuated due to flooding in Holland Park.

Lorne Gardens in Holland Park where some residents have been evacuated
Author: Aileen O'SullivanPublished 21st Jan 2026

Thousands of homes in some of London's most expensive postcodes have had their water supply disrupted this morning.

It happened because of a burst water main close to the Holland Park roundabout in the early hours.

As well as taps running dry some streets have also flooded.

Some residents have shared photos online of water surrounding parked cars.

London fire Brigade were called in to help - evacuating some people from their homes in an inflatable rescue boat.

A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said: "Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters dealt with the flooding in the area near Holland Park Roundabout.

Crews from Thames Water and London Fire Brigade have been on the scene since the early hours

Around 25 people were displaced due to flood water entering properties and have been re-located to a nearby rest centre. There were no reports of any injuries.

Station Commander Kris Seymour, who was at the scene, said: “A burst 30-inch water main caused flooding up to 1-metre deep, affecting more than 50 homes and a hotel over a one-mile area.

“Firefighters used specialist equipment, including an inflatable rescue boat to evacuate affected residents and flood barriers to divert flood water, which has now subsided. We encourage people to avoid the area as road closures will likely be in place throughout the morning.”

The Brigade’s Control Officers took 11 calls to the incident and sent crews from Hammersmith, Kensington, North Kensington, Fulham and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The incident was over for firefighters by 0523."

Thames Water have apologised to those affected, saying they have stopped the flooding but are continuing to work on cleaning up the area.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council have said they are offering support to those who have been affected.

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