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Around 20 cars were trapped in floodwater on the A27 in West Sussex last night after torrential downpour saw half a month’s worth of rain fall in over 48 hours.
Motorists are being warned to stay off the roads as cars have become stuck in flood water caused by showers with the UK set to suffer ‘miserable conditions’ over the next two days.
The A27 was closed in both directions between Emsworth and Chichester yesterday evening as West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service worked to free the waterlogged vehicles.
The service posted on Twitter: ‘A27 CLOSED both ways from Fishbourne, Chichester to Havant Around 20 cars stuck in flood water.
‘We are extremely busy dealing with multiple flood-related incidents, including rescuing people from cars and flooding in buildings.’
The Met Office issued weather alerts as a band of rain, which arrived in Cornwall on Wednesday afternoon, travels across the country before passing over Scotland’s east coast on Friday.
Around 20 cars were stuck in both directions of the A27 in West Sussex between Fishbourne and Havant, as firefighters worked to free occupants
A car is one of around 20 that lay stranded on the A27 in west Sussex after heavy rainfall last night
Metal railings were twisted out of shape after floodwaters burst a river bank in West Sussex
West Sussex Fire and Rescue posted on Twitter: ‘A27 CLOSED both ways from Fishbourne, Chichester to Havant Around 20 cars stuck in flood water’
Conditions may be ‘atrocious’ for much of the UK, while the Scottish highlands could see some snow, the forecaster said as it put out a yellow warning for rain.
‘Police on the scene and the road closed in both directions. We are attending with specialist equipment to help bring people to safety. AVOID THE AREA and only travel if necessary.’
And motorists were being warned by travel service Romanse of ‘heavy delays’ around the A27 and A3M near Havant, Hampshire, because of flooding caused by the rain.
Police in Winchester, Hampshire, have also advised of a large tree coming down and blocking a road in Swanmore.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency had issued three flood warnings and 43 flood alerts mostly across the south coast as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Met Office’s first weather warning will kick in at 5pm, covering a southeast area stretching from Southampton and the Isle of Wight in Hampshire to the coast in Kent, until 6am on Thursday.
Forecasters warn that roads, homes and businesses could be flooded and transport services disrupted.
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Another yellow rain warning then comes into force across a large area of the UK for the whole of Thursday, from 12am until 11.59pm.
Cars were spotted driving through heavy floodwater as half an inch of rain fell across Britain
Floodwater caused a sewer to be overwhelmed on this street in West Sussex
A car was left stranded in floodwater after a riverbank burst in West Sussex due to heavy showers
This covers an area stretching from Birmingham, Lincoln and Hull to north Wales, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as the east coast up to the Scottish border.
The rain brings a small chance of homes and businesses flooding, communities being temporarily cut off by flooded roads and disruptions to transport, the Met Office warns.
A third warning will come into force at 3pm on Thursday until 6pm on Friday for the east coast of Scotland, stretching from the English border up past Aberdeen with similar risks of flooding, and transport disruptions.
Met Office spokesperson Craig Snell said: ‘The warning areas are where we are most concerned about the risk of flooding but it doesn’t mean that the areas outside them are not going to see some pretty atrocious conditions.’
Mr Snell said a warning is in place for the southeast because ‘it has been quite wet there since the beginning of November with many places already seeing more than their month’s share of rain’.
He added that conditions are ‘still going to be a pretty miserable evening for the whole of the south’ and Londoners will have an ‘unpleasant commute home this evening’ but the wet conditions will have passed through the area by Thursday morning.
The midlands and the north of England will have a ‘pretty miserable day’ on Thursday after the rain sweeps in overnight, Mr Snell said.
‘The rain will be accompanied by a brisk wind so it’s not going to feel feel good.’
But he added that Scotland could see ‘two days of persistent rain’ and this may result in snow falling in the highlands – although this is not unusual for November.
‘If you want to take a walk in the hills in Scotland tomorrow you may come across snow but for the lower levels it is just going to be rain,’ he said.
RAC breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis warned motorists to ‘exercise great care’ during the wet weather.
‘The chances of being involved in a collision rise dramatically in wet weather, and even more so if there’s snow, so it’s vital drivers slow down, leave plenty of space behind the vehicle in front and use their lights to make sure they’re easily seen by other road users,’ he said.
‘The risk of aquaplaning where a vehicle’s wheels lose contact with the road as they skim across standing water will be high, particularly for those who don’t slow down to appropriate speeds for the conditions.’
