Thunderstorm warning for Sussex upgraded to amber
The Met Office is warning of downpours and possible flash flooding on Wednesday (August 17th).
Last updated 17th Aug 2022
The Met Office has upgraded a weather warning across Sussex for thunderstorms to amber, following flash flooding in some parts of the county.
The alert will be in place from 10am to 10pm on Wednesday (August 17th), while a yellow warning remains in effect until midnight.
The warning covers all of the county with the exception of some areas in the far west of West Sussex.
It comes after flooding caused disruption in several parts of the county, including in Haywards Heath, on Tuesday.
What can we expect?
Flooding of homes and businesses is likely and could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
Fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life
Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely
Spray and sudden flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
Some communities likely to become cut off if roads flood
Power cuts likely to occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost
A Met Office spokesperson said:
"Heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to break out today leading to some flooding and disruption.
"Some places will miss these, but where they do occur, 30 to 50 mm of rain could fall in less than an hour and a few places may see in excess of 100 mm in a few hours where storms are slow moving.
"Lightning and hail will be additional hazards.
"Showers and storms will slowly die out this evening."