UK flooding causes Christmas getaway misery as heavy rain hits trains and roads

  • Road and rail journeys affected across southern England
  • Village in Cornwall under water after 2in of rain in 36 hours
  • Trains to Gatwick cancelled with M23 closed near airport
  • Read our live travel updates HERE
Tim Baker20 December 2019

Heavy rain and flooding is causing chaos for thousands of people on the Christmas getaway, with trains cancelled, roads flooded and more downpours on the way.

Road and rail journeys are being thrown into disarray across southern and eastern England after nearly 2in (50mm) of rain fell in some areas in just 36 hours.

In the south east, train passengers are being told not to travel to Gatwick after the wet weather blocked a key line in West Sussex on what is the busiest day of the year for UK airports.

In Cornwall, the village of Cardinham was left under water after 52mm of rain fell over 36 hours.

The M23, close to Gatwick, has been closed in both directions due to flooding, while a landslip on the rail lines between Guildford and Redhill in Surrey is also causing disruption.

A road in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, is left under water after heavy rain
PA

Heavy rains started falling on Thursday, and the Met Office has weather warnings out for the south of the country all the way through to Sunday.

Some 47 flood warnings - where flooding is expected - were in place for England on Friday morning, alongside 196 flood alerts, which warn flooding is possible.

On the trains, National Rail urged Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express passengers not to travel between Brighton and London.

Gatwick Express services were suspended and holidaymakers were urged to "strongly consider making private travel arrangements" in a bid to reach the airport.

A limited, one-train-per-hour service is now running between Brighton and Gatwick.

The landslip between Guildford and Redhill
Twitter/GWRHelp

Rail replacement buses are in place but Southern said these are delayed due to road conditions. London to Gatwick services are also affected, but “to a far lesser extent”, it said.

The disruption has been caused by flooding in Balcombe, just south of Crawley, West Sussex, which blocked the line between Haywards Heath and Three Bridges.

Services from London are still running, and “attempts” are underway to run trains from Brighton to Three Bridges.

Southern said people should consider travelling along the coast to Barnham from Brighton before taking a service towards Horsham and London, but warned it would be "a far lengthier journey.

A National Rail spokesman said the trouble had been caused by "consistent rainfall", with the water level reaching rail level height.

A landslip on the rail lines between Guildford and Redhill in Surrey is also leading to delays, with disruption expected on the line until at least 4pm.

Flooding on the tracks in West Sussex
@NetworkRailSE

Fooding in Crowborough, East Sussex, and Hever, Kent, is also affecting services.

There are also no trains between Strood and Maidstone West, southeastern said.

The rail company posted on its website: "A tree blocking the railway between Strood and Maidstone West means all lines are blocked. Train services running between these stations will be suspended.

There is also extensive flooding in Witham, Essex
PA

"Disruption is expected until the end of the day."

Meanwhile, the M23 is closed between junctions 10 and 11 in both directions.

A spokesman for Highways England said the route had been "severely affected" and had to be closed for "safety reasons". It warned those travelling to Gatwick to leave plenty of time.

Elsewhere, Devon and Cornwall Police said flooding had made roads "impassable". They urged motorists to take extra care and avoid driving into standing water.

The village of Cardinham in Cornwall saw 2in (52mm) of rain over 36 hours, while Bastreet Downs got 2.1in (53mm).

Downpours also caused disruption to Great Western Railway services between Exeter St Davids and Taunton.

In the east, Norfolk and Suffolk Police said roads in both counties were affected by floodwater.

The Environment Agency has issued dozens of flood warnings, while yellow weather warnings for rain remain in place for large swathes of the south until midday on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "There will be some showers around but nowhere near as much rain as today."

Haywards Heath in West Sussex is one of the worst hit areas after the wet weather
PA

But he added: "More rain is coming from the south through the night and tomorrow.

"Most of the rain will be in the eastern part, eastern England and Scotland, gradually improving throughout the day.

"It does look, as we head into next week, that the weather will turn drier."

Flood defences have been put up in Guildford to protect properties over the weekend.

Water from the Thames is also being diverted into the Jubilee River near the M4 by Windsor, Berkshire, to prevent flooding nearby.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "We urge the public to prepare to take action when at risk of flooding, even if a temporary barrier is in place.

"There are a number of things you can do to prepare for flooding to keep yourself and your family safe.

"Find out if your home is at risk, sign up for flood warnings and be ready to take action."

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