Gale-force winds and heavy rain did not stop Christmas shoppers determined to grab the last of their festive purchases.

As commuters faced travel misery with flooded roads and cancelled trains leaving many stranded yesterday, shoppers were left undeterred in Station Road, Edgware.

The high street was teaming with people tucked under their umbrellas as they made their way around the shops.

Meanwhile, London Fire Brigade (LFB) announced they received five times the normal number of emergency 999 calls last night as high winds and heavy rain hit the capital.

A LFB spokesman said: “It has been an extremely busy night for our firefighters and 999 control staff. Between 8pm on Monday evening and 7am on Christmas Eve, London Fire Brigade received 853 calls. This compares with 159 calls for the same period 24 hours earlier – that’s around five times busier than normal

“Crews have been working incredibly hard throughout the night, mainly attending flooding incidents and fallen trees, as well as being called to structures such as windows, roof tiles and signs which have been left in a precarious position by the high winds. Thankfully though, so far, we have had no reports of any injuries.”

The Met Office has predicted more rain for Barnet this afternoon, between 12pm and 2pm, and another downpour later this evening.