Weather warning in force as Storm Alex hits West Sussex
The county's on alert for strong winds and heavy rain through the weekend
Last updated 2nd Oct 2020
West Sussex is starting the first of three days of wet and windy weather as Storm Alex passes over the county.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain and wind across the county, and much of the South Coast, which is in force from 3am through until 8pm on Friday.
We could see travel disruption, flooding on roads and big waves around the coast too.
Forecasters have warned that coastal gales of up to 60 to 65mph are possible, with winds still like to reach upwards of 40mph further inland.
A further severe weather alert is out for heavy rain across the weekend, starting at 3am on Saturday and continuing through to 8pm on Sunday night, for much of the UK except for parts of western Scotland, north-west England and Cornwall.
Parts of Wales, southwest England and eastern Scotland could see over 100mm of rain falling over the weekend, which is likely to lead to significant impacts from flooding, an enhanced risk of landslides along with very difficult driving conditions.
Nick Silkstone, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said:
“Saturday will be a very wet day as heavy bands of rain push north and west across the country, followed by showery rain on Sunday.
"It’ll be cold and windy too with a risk of coastal gales in some areas.
"The Met Office has issued a rain warning covering large parts of the country over the weekend and we’re urging people to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and warnings during this spell of disruptive weather.”
“Heavy rain will bring the potential for surface water flooding and perhaps some river flooding across the south of England on Friday. More widespread and persistent heavy rain across much of England will bring the potential for further river and surface water flooding over the weekend.
Jonathan Day, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“Environment Agency teams have been working hard to clear grills and weed screens in areas which may be affected, and are ready to support local authorities leading on responses to surface water flooding incidents, should they occur. We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
“You can check your flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation here , call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”
Rod Dennis, spokesperson for RAC Breakdown, added:
“Heavy rain will make road conditions miserable if not downright dangerous for drivers this weekend, and they’ll need to be prepared for an ugly mix of surface spray, gusty winds and more than likely some disruption on the roads.
“Floods are also a possibility so drivers should remember never to attempt to drive through water unless they know for sure that it’s shallow enough. For drivers who are unlucky enough to breakdown in the horrid conditions, our patrols will be working around the clock to get them moving again.”