Exeter Airport was forced to cancel flights and close its terminal on Sunday afternoon after it was affected by flash flooding. 

But the airport was able to get passengers in the sky on Monday morning (September 18) thanks to 25 staff members, who worked through the night to clean up.

Equipment loaned from Tool Care Hire in Exeter also ensured that passengers could check in from 3.30am for the day's first flight to Menorca at 6am. 

Torrential rain on Sunday afternoon saw up to 32mm of rain recorded at the airport in one hour amid a Met Office amber weather warning for thunderstorms. 

The airport closed at around 2.30pm when surface water flooded its arrivals and departures terminals, resulting in flights being cancelled for the rest of the day.

Staff members have been praised for getting the airport back up and running to handle flights so soon after the floodwater hit. 

Exeter Airport managing director Steve Wiltshire said: “I’ve never seen rain like it and it happened so suddenly.

“We were flooded to a depth of a few centimetres and we had no option but to close while we cleaned up.

“It was a massive team effort and I’d just like to say thank you to the whole airport crew who pulled out all the stops overnight to make sure we could open in time for our first departure this morning, and to Tool Care Hire in Exeter who opened especially for us and loaned us dehumidifiers and water vacs.

“Thankfully, none of our critical systems was damaged by the flood and we’re quickly getting back to normal.

“We would like to thank all our passengers for their patience and understanding.”

Exeter Airport flies to 25 destinations in nine countries. It is owned and operated by Regional & City Airports.