SEVERAL days bringing spells of torrential rain have caused water levels to rise to their highest in five years.

At the Wharf, in Grays, the 3.06pm high tide combined with higher-than-normal water level saw the Thames begin to flood pavements.

And more wet weather is on the way, with rain and gales set to hit Thurrock in the next 12 hours, though tomorrow could see some sunny respite.

Around 24mm of rain has fallen in the last four days alone, more than half of last January's total rainfall.

Police officers were dispatched to ensure people on Argent Street did not get too close to the flood waters at Grays Wharf, which subsided quickly as the tide began to fall.

One resident living on the Wharf said in the four years she had lived in the area, she had never seen the water level so high.

Thurrock Gazette:

Caught off guard - close call as flood water doesn't quite reach Argent Street [Pic - Emma Webster/Twitter]

Thankfully, there was no damage to property nor disruption caused to traffic on Argent Street.

Thurrock Chief Inspector Ben Hodder said: "The water's going down rapidly now as high tide has passed and officers are leaving the scene. There's no disruption to Argent Street and the council will attend to assess any clean up and appropriate action for the next high tide."

Elsewhere, all four of the borough's scheduled non-league football matches were called off due to waterlogged pitches.

Referees deemed pitches at Aveley, Tilbury, East Thurrock United and Thurrock unplayable after deluges on Thursday and Friday.

A severe weather warning was in place for Thurrock on Saturday.

Independent meteorologist Phil Church, from Thurrock Weather, said: "To say the weather recently has been "unsettled" would be an understatement. Yesterday saw almost two seasons in one: spring and winter. It was gloriously sunny one minute with dark foreboding clouds and torrential rain the next.

Thurrock Gazette:

Picture by Vikki Shearing as water from the Thames overflows into the Wharf's communal areas.

"Temperatures are not falling below freezing most times but gales are still causing chaos around the region with yet more forecast tomorrow. Despite the rain warnings, today has seen 4.3mm of rain, with an astonishing 24.4mm of rain this month and we are only four days in!

"Tomorrow should see the return of a sunny day so don't throw stones at that fireball in the sky as it's meant to be there but gales and rain will arrive again after 4pm approximately."

Thurrock Gazette: Chadfields waterlogged pitch

Tilbury's football pitch at Chadfields yesterday [Pic: Paul Vaughan/Twitter]