Burst main on Hornsey Road leaves homes and businesses in up to three feet of water

Flood repairs outside the Sobell Centre. Photograph: Islington Citizen

Residents are counting the cost after a burst main on Hornsey Road flooded streets and homes in Holloway with up to three feet of water.

The flooding caused widespread disruption and an estimated 50 homes have been affected.

It also left some residents and businesses in north Islington without water.

Islington Council opened up a rest centre in the nearby Emmanuel Church.

It comes as London braces itself for another heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30s, and a possible hosepipe ban after weeks without rain.

Housing staff have visited ground-floor homes on the Harvist estate off Hornsey Road to assess damage, but a spokesman said there had not been “any significant flooding”.

Emmanuel Church vicar Liz Clutterbuck tweeted: “An awful lot of homes left damaged on the ground floor of the Harvist Estate, on Annette Road and Hornsey Road.”

The Tolington pub, popular with Gooners fans, is among the businesses affected by the flood.

Council workers are involved in the clear-up, working with Thames Water and highways officers to assess road damage.

Thames Water used a temporary pump to restore pressure and water for people in six postcode areas.

Staff advised people to run their cold tap “for a couple of minutes to clear any air bubbles which might be trapped in your pipes”. They aim to finish clearing up the debris today before counting the cost of the leak and the reasons for the burst.

Islington staff are also cleaning up the council-owned Sobell Centre, which had to be evacuated.

Station Commander Matt Brown, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters used flood barriers to divert water and assisted two adults and two children to safety. There were no reports of any injuries.”

There are likely to be closures for some time and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

Islington is one of six boroughs most at risk of flooding due to climate change, according to a City Hall report.