A supermarket in Hawkinge was forced to shut during today's flash flooding.

Lidl in Hawkinge was closed after downpours left whole sections of the town under water and a road in Folkestone was closed after it started collapsing.

Buses have been cancelled and stopped serving Hawkinge this afternoon after the A260 Canterbury Road was closed.

Shepway District Council has warned that more rain is forecast for tomorrow and are advising people where to get sandbags.

A spokesman for Lidl said: "The store at Hawkinge was affected by flooding and closed."

The company said that it hopes to reopen the store at 4.30pm.

But the spokesman added the store had not been inundated by water.

Stagecoach reported severe disruption to bus services throughout the area.

Firefighters are helping to clear the water along with engineers from Kent Highways.

A diversion has been set up via the A2 and A20 - as The Street in Swingfield is now also shut.

Kent Highways says diversions are in place on affected routes.

Buses from Canterbury through to Hythe have been cancelled because of the roads being blocked due to the flash flooding.

Meanwhile, the 16 service between Canterbury and Folkestone would "divert with delays via Dover".

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) says it has received more than 25 calls for help, mainly from the east of the county including Dover, Deal, Folkestone and Hythe.

KFRS area manager Lee Rose said: "If you're in your home and it starts to flood, we'd always urge people to turn off their electricity supplies and then check on neighbours."

He also advised against driving through flooded roads - which can have hidden dangers - and urged motorists to proceed slowly and carefully in wet conditions.

Downpours caused roads in Golden Valley in Folkestone to become flooded as drains failed to cope with the deluge and one residential street started to collapse.

Freemantle Road was shut after Kent Highways warned the road was closed until further notice between Enbrook Valley and Digby Road due to “a subsidence in the carriageway”.

Engineers were also called to deal with excess water in the carriageway on Enbrook Road.

Empty sandbags are available free of charge from the following council locations during opening hours:

• Shepway Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone: Open Monday to Friday 8.30 am-5pm (Wednesdays 9.30am-5pm).
• Hythe Town Council, Oaklands, Stade Street:Open Monday to Friday: 10am-1pm and 1.30pm-3.30pm.
• Dymchurch Parish Council, 13 Orgarswick Avenue:Open Monday and Tuesday: 8.30am -12.30pm.
• Lydd Town Council, Guild Hall, 13 High Street.:Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9am-12.30pm.
• New Romney One Stop Shop Church Approach. Open Tuesday and Friday: 9am-12.30pm.
• New Romney Town Council, Town Hall, High Street. Open Monday and Wednesday: 8.30am-4.30pm and Friday: 8.30am-3.30pm.

New Romney Town Council have also arranged for sandbags to be available at the
following locations in the town.

• Mountfield Industrial Estate. Open Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm and Saturday 8am to noon.
• Community Warden’s Office, Romney Marsh Community Church, North Street.Open Monday to Friday 9am to 12noon.

Shepway council says that sand and sandbags are available at most builders’ merchants and larger DIY stores.

Merchants can also deliver them for an additional charge.

Anyone who has not been able to get sandbags in advance can use alternatives like pillowcases or refuse sacks and fill them with soil.

A council spokesman said: “We are getting reports of surface water flooding in some areas of the district.

“If residents are in immediate danger from flooding they should call the emergency services on 999.

“Heavy rain is forecast to continue until tomorrow morning and again at the end of the
week.

“Therefore residents may want to be prepared to protect their property with sandbags.”