TORRENTIAL rain brought chaos to the area yesterday, closing shops and making roads impassable.

Bournemouth was the worst hit, with floodwater turning the lower gardens into a lake.

The fire service was inundated with calls following the deluge, which swept over the area without warning shortly before 3pm.

In Bournemouth, the A338 between St Paul's roundabout and the Springbourne roundabout was closed by the floodwater, causing traffic chaos for afternoon commuters. One driver reported taking 20 minutes to join the Wessex Way from Richmond Hill.

Traffic was brought to a standstill on Poole's busy Alder Road. A house in Winston Avenue, Branksome, was hit by lightning, leaving a hole around a metre square in the roof.

According to one Daily Echo reader's measurements, 31.4mm (around 1.3 inches) of rain fell between 2.30pm and 4.45pm. Of that, at least half an inch fell between 2.30 and 2.45pm.

The town saw 60 per cent of an average September's rainfall in two hours, it was estimated.

At Turbary Retail Park at West Howe, water flooded into the Range shop, forcing it to shut.

Manager Neil Crossey said: "We have had about six or seven inches the whole length of the store - that's 40,000sq feet. It's a lot of water.

"We have managed to save a lot of the stock but there was some that has been damaged."

He said staff had helped carry elderly people and young children to their cars.

"We have now been left with a major clean-up operation but we hope to be open for business in the morning," he added.

The new Boscombe Library was also hit and floodwater ran into the lower ground floor of Debenhams, the basement at Beales and HSBC bank.

The entrance to Asda at St Paul's was flooded as staff desperately tried stop the water getting into the store.

The town's Lower and Central Gardens quickly became a no-go area as water cascaded down the slope from Bournemouth Square and the Bourne Stream burst its banks. Two police officers had to rescue a woman in a wheelchair from a giant puddle.

In Gervis Place there was further chaos as buses were forced to inch around the debris after a drain and a section of the road collapsed.

St Stephen's Road by the Town Hall was closed after a number of vehicles broke down in two feet of floodwater.

But while Bournemouth, Boscombe, Parkstone and Sandbanks all suffered flooding and burst drains, other areas escaped practically unscathed.

Dr Richard Wild, senior meteorologist at Bournemouth-based WeatherNet, said: "The forecasts did predict a sunny morning and then showers in the afternoon but I must admit, the intensity of the rain took me by surprise. I suspect it was more violent than was expected.

"I think certain areas have seen much more intense rain and thunderstorms than others but we can't assess exactly how bad it was just yet."