WHAT A WAS HOUT!
TORRENTIAL rain turned the Christmas getaway into a misery yesterday – with more downpours expected today.
Flooding blocked roads and railways, while part of a historic promenade collapsed.
The heavens opened across southern England and Wales on Wednesday afternoon, and half a month’s rain fell between then and yesterday morning.
Some 57 flood warnings, where a flood is expected, were issued yesterday across central and southern England. And 195 flood alerts – where one is possible – were issued in the region.
But there was some festive cheer from forecasters – the weather is due to turn more settled next week and Christmas Day is set to be largely dry with sunny spells.
Yesterday’s rain caused a section of the promenade in Southsea, Hampshire, to collapse. The stretch had already been identified by the council as ‘dangerous’ and repairs will now take place.
The M23 was shut yesterday in both directions because of flooding near Crawley, West Sussex.
The closure brought gridlock around Gatwick airport, with tailbacks several miles long reported on alternative routes.
The River Rother, meanwhile, burst its banks in another part of the county, blocking roads.
There were also delays due to flooding on the A12 in Essex and the A20 in West Kingsdown, Kent.
Motorists had to be rescued from their cars by firemen after becoming marooned at Leigh, near Tonbridge, and Maidstone, both in Kent. Cars were also seen submerged near Billericay, Essex.
Meanwhile, rail commuters faced delays after tracks were left under water inches deep at Frant Station, Tunbridge Wells, East Sussex, yesterday morning.
A landslip between Guildford and Godalming caused problems on services into Waterloo.
The wettest place between 3pm on Wednesday and 7am yesterday was Libanus, Powys, where 2.5in of rain fell. Bodmin, Cornwall, had 2in over the same period. The average monthly rainfall for the whole of December is 3.4in. Up to 2in of rain fell widely across the South.
A weather warning has been issued for the whole of today until noon tomorrow, covering southern England from Cornwall to Kent. Up to an inch more rain could fall, risking further flooding. Bonnie Diamond, of the Met Office, said that away from the South, the rest of England and Wales was set to experience a mixture of sunshine and showers.
She added: ‘ During Sunday, a ridge of high pressure is due to build, meaning more settled conditions, although it could turn colder by day, with the possibility of frosts at night.’
The RAC has warned motorists to expect ‘bumper-to-bumper’ traffic over the next few days, with 31.2 million journeys set to be taken in the week before Christmas.
Yesterday was set to be one of the busiest days of the festive season for traffic, with 4.7 million trips planned.
Data from transport specialists INRIX shows the M1 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, the northern and western sections of the clockwise M25, and M6 in the West Midlands are expected to see the worst delays over the next week.
Ben Aldous, of the RAC, said ‘bumperto-bumper traffic on some motorways and major A-roads’ was ‘near-guaranteed’.
He said: ‘It looks as though millions of drivers are planning to complete their Christmas getaway trips this week.
‘Unfortunately, when you add in the prospect of unsettled weather, with heavy rain and strong winds in some parts, these are likely to be pretty unpleasant drives.’
‘More settled over Christmas’