The agency posted on Twitter: “Police on scene and road closed in both directions. We are watching with specialist equipment to help get people to safety. AVOID THE AREA and only travel if necessary.” Some rail lines were affected on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with disruption between Tonbridge and Hasting caused by flooding in a tunnel at Wadhurst in East Sussex. National Rail said it had repaired a fault in the tunnel involving a blown fuse and a melted piece of signaling equipment, with disruption to the line until at least 6am. Flooding between Lewes and Brighton stations is also causing disruption expected until 9am, including cancellations and delays. On the Isle of Wight, flooding caused the cancellation of trains on the Island line until 9am. And motorists were warned by travel agency Romanse of “major delays” around the A27 and A3M near Havant, Hampshire, due to flooding caused by the rain. Police in Winchester, Hampshire have also advised that a large tree is down and blocking a road in Swanmore. Road and rail commuters have been delayed by flooding with 26 flood warnings in place this morning in England. Motorways and footpaths have been blocked by heavy rain after the Environment Agency predicted flooding in the south and east of the country. The train delays come amid ongoing disruption between Peterborough and Leicester after a vehicle crashed into a low railway bridge near Melton Mowbray on Tuesday. Flooding closed the M23 southbound between junctions 10 and 11 as well as the A27 near the A259 junction, National Highways said. Road accidents this morning closed lanes of the M62 between junctions 26 and 25 and the A63 between the A15/A1105 and the A1034 in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Flood warnings from the Environment Agency are urging residents to take action as “flooding is expected”. It advises moving vehicles to higher ground, valuables, family and pets to safety, and shutting off gas, electricity and water supplies where safe.
Three flood warnings and 43 flood warnings
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency had issued three flood warnings and 43 flood warnings mainly across the south coast as of Wednesday afternoon. The Met Office’s first weather warning began at 5pm, covering a south-east area stretching from Southampton and the Isle of Wight in Hampshire to the coast in Kent, until 6am on Thursday. Forecasters warned that roads, homes and businesses could be flooded and transport services disrupted. Another yellow rain warning was in place across a large area of the UK for the whole of Thursday from 12am until 11.59pm. This covers an area stretching from Birmingham, Lincoln and Hull to north Wales, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as the east coast to the Scottish Borders. The rain brings a slight chance of homes and businesses being flooded, communities being temporarily cut off by flooded roads and transport disruptions, the Met Office warns. A third warning will go into effect at 3 p.m. on Thursday until 6 p.m. on Friday for the east coast of Scotland, stretching from the English border to Aberdeen with similar risks of flooding and transport disruption. A yellow weather warning was also issued for fog for parts of Northern Ireland from 4.40am. to 10 a.m. Thursday.
Rain and wind combine to create ‘horrendous’ conditions”
Met Office spokesman Craig Snell said: “The warning areas are where we’re most concerned about the risk of flooding, but that doesn’t mean areas outside of them aren’t going to see some pretty horrific conditions.” Mr Snell said there was a warning for the south-east because “it’s been quite wet there since early November with many places already having more than the month’s share of rain”.
