Storms stopped a MILLION people from voting in crucial EU referendum
Bad weather in London and South East kept voters at home
MORE than a million voters could have stayed at home due to torrential polling day down pours and travel chaos, experts have warned.
But pollsters claimed both sides of the referendum debate will be equally blighted by the disruption.
Storms and flooding hit London, the south and the east of England as Britain went to the polls.
As the evening rush hour hit, trains were cancelled out of Liverpool Street Station and thousands were stranded at London Waterloo.
Polling stations were forced to close and people had to wade through water to cast their vote after heavy rain struck.
Some voters were told to wear wellies because of flooding, while other polling stations were relocated because they were inundated with water.
Kingston upon Thames Council in South West London moved two voting locations, and a polling station in Barking and Dagenham, East London, was shut because of a burst water main.
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Barking and Dagenham Council apologised to voters and said it had been relocated to two sites within walking distance.
One polling station in Dover experienced a power outage due to the storms and was running on a generator for much of the day.
Top Dutch boffins from the International Journal of Biometeorology have found: “Election-day rainfall of roughly 25 mm (1 inch) reduces turnout by a rate of one per cent.”
In 2004 academics at at America’s Stanford University concluded that the weather can change voter turnout by up to five per cent.
Last night more than 40 millimetres of rain had fallen.
But Brexit-backing Boris Johnson was confident of his chances: “From what I have heard and all the information is that turnout is good in areas where we need it to be.”
Asked if poor weather could affect turnout in key parts of the country, he added: “l don’t think that will make any difference in the long run. It’s a long time to go until the polls close.”
Pollsters YouGov claim that their data showed that those Brexit supporters are more likely to say they will vote than Remain backers.
Their head of political and social research Joe Twyman has previously said: “This means we can conclude, generally speaking at least, that a lower turnout come polling day should favour the Leave campaign.”
But he urged caution, adding: “the key question is which socio-demographic groups are most likely to be turned off voting by rain. Old people perhaps? Youngsters? Students?”
Last night Mr Twyman suggested that there was “no evidence to suggest” the poor weather would favour either side.
Respected election boffin Professor John Curtis, has said rain does not have a noticeable effect on voter numbers:
“We’ve had one or two general elections when it’s been raining in some parts of the country and not in another and there has been no significant variation in turnout.
“It’s one of the most common theories of turnout but nobody has ever found the evidence to back it up.
“We tend to avoid elections in December and January because snow can make a difference.
"Just because there’s a little bit of rain in the south east people think it’s relevant."
There are 22 flood alerts across the south east of England launched yesterday, with London experiencing a month’s worth of rainfall in just a few hours.
But in Scotland, where a high turnout could help swing the vote to Remain, the weather was dry.
Last night MPs pleaded with their constituents not to let the weather put them off.
Kent Tory Tom Tugendhat tweeted: The weather is awful and the trains rubbish but please don’t let that stop you voting -- this is your chance to have your voice heard.
Telly presenter Sian Williams hit out: “At London Cannon St. No trains. Haven’t voted. Ballot on kitchen table in Kent.”
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