South on high flood alert as weather worsens

The A283 Steyning Road in Shoreham has been closed over fears the surface could collapse.

Police were called at 10.50am to reports of flooding on the road. The road was closed between the Clover Leaf roundabout at the A27 and the Red Lion pub at the junction with Upper Shoreham Road.

The road has been closed in both directions and is expected to remain shut for several days while a burst water main and the road are repaired.

A major operation is underway to help residents affected by land instability along Undercliff Drive between Niton and St Lawrence.

The Isle of Wight Council is co-ordinating an operation to help residents remove belongings from their homes after they were advised to leave for safety reasons.

The operation is being led by the Isle of Wight Fire Service with support from the military, the Coastguard Service, Island Roads and local police officers.

Over recent days, significant ground movement has damaged the highway affecting access to nine properties in an area known as ‘Woodlands’.

On Friday one home was evacuated after it was found to be unsafe by building control officers and yesterday the Isle of Wight Council requested that remaining residents leave their homes due to concerns about their safety because of lack of access and uncertainty about utility supplies.

Today, a military team which was deployed to the Isle of Wight yesterday, is helping residents to remove personal belongings from their properties.

Saturated ground and continued movement make conditions in the area extremely dangerous so members of the public should keep away from the area.

A major multi agency operation is being carried out to protect an under threat river bank in Romsey in a bid to prevent 300 properties from flooding.

The operation involves laying 40,000 sandbags to bolster the flood defences in the town in the wake of the unprecedented rainfall of recent weeks.

Flows in the River Test are exceptionally high, and 20 properties have already flooded in the town.

Today’s operation involves 45 EA, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Test Valley Borough Council workers, together with 300 military personnel

It follows an operation last week to lay 100 one tonne gravel bags in the River Itchen at Winchester, which has so far, with the help of High Volume Pumping by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service reduced the risk of the flooding of up to 100 properties in the cathedral city.

Kent Police are warning properties remain at risk over the next few days as a result of the heavy rain.

Water levels are expected to rise in Yalding, Collier Street, East Peckham, Kingston, Patrixbourne, Elham, Bridge, Littlebourne, Bishopsbourne, Wickhambreaux, Lydd and from Wye to Ashford areas. Eastry has also now been identified as at risk.

Flood warnings are still in place for Fordwich, Sturry, Grove Ferry and Ash, Nettlestead, Wateringbury, Thannington, Alkham, Folkestone, Chartham, Romney Marsh and Wateringbury.

Winds of up to 80 miles an hour are battering the region again tonight - as more rain and damaging gusts hit towns and villages already affected by floods.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for very strong winds along the south coast until tomorrow morning.

It's set to be the wettest winter for 250 years.

Martin Dowse reports now from the Dorset coast - the first part of our region to bear the brunt of the latest winter storm.

Sailors from HMS Collingwood at Fareham have been helping an historic school battling to keep flood water at bay.

The Pilgrims’ School in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral has already sustained flood damage to its historic Pilgrims’ Hall – which dates from 1310 – and its grounds as the neighbouring River Itchen burst its banks.

Petty Officer Alistair McLeod is leading a unit of ten phase two trainees in filling sandbags and building a wall alongside the river.

The Phalanx instructor said: “It’s great for them to see what the forces can be called upon to do. It’s also good to see the Navy getting recognition.”

The school, which is the choir school of Winchester Cathedral, has 240 pupils and two classes of 4-7 year olds trooped out of their plastic-protected classrooms to meet the sailors.

20,000 sandbags have already been laid in the village of Hambledon which has been flooded for 40 days and 40 nights. Residents have formed an action group to fight the rising floodwater.

Volunteers are on duty 24 hours a day checking a thousand electric pumps. Kerry Swain spent the day with them.