UK weather - live: West Sussex floods spark evacuations as high tides hit UK with ‘worst yet to come’

Residents and holidaymakers have been urged to “get to high ground” after severe flooding sparked a mass evacuation in West Sussex in the aftermath of Storm Kathleen - with a council warning the worst is yet to come.

Frantic evacuation efforts were launched overnight in and around Littlehampton, with nearly 200 people rescued from Medmerry Holiday Park as hundreds of flood warnings were issued across the country.

Emergency services said one person was rushed to hospital after showing signs of hypothermia

Residents stuck or trapped by floodwater in their homes were urged to stay on high ground on Tuesday, as West Sussex County Council said water levels “have not yet receded” and warned “flooding may increase throughout the day”.

Elsewhere, beach huts have been dragged into the sea in Bournemouth as a yellow weather warning for 65mph wind was issued by the Met Office.

Forecasters warned that heavy rain and strong winds would continue to batter parts of southern England, western Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland over the next few days in the aftermath of Storm Kathleen.

Key Points

• Fire and Rescue service launches rescue operation

• Hundreds of flood warnings in place

• Ambulance service confirms one taken to hospital

Watch: Cars wade through flooded Sussex roads following Storm Kathleen

16:18 , Joe Middleton

Pictures: Transport disrupted as flooding continues

14:20 , Athena Stavrou

Resident in ‘disbelief’ after watching road become engulfed by floodwater

14:00 , Athena Stavrou

A resident of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex said flooding in the town was “scary and unprecedented”, after he stayed awake until the early hours putting flood defences around his property.

Gareth Theobald, 36, told the PA news agency: “I was out the front of the building and watching the water just get higher and higher and higher, and then helping or stopping traffic going into the floodwaters and then just watching in disbelief as the whole of Brighton Road and our multimillion-pound development was being engulfed by floodwaters.”

The industrial relations officer added: “The amount of water is scary and unprecedented and those houses opposite our development are lower-ground flats and they were all flooded under a foot or so of water.”

He said he saw cars “driving into the floods at speed as well and getting stuck” and that “residents in the streets (were) trying to do what they can”.

National weather forecast today

13:45 , Athena Stavrou

Today:

Cloud and rain slowly clearing eastwards across parts of Scotland, but turning brighter elsewhere, although a few showers through the afternoon. Windy, especially along southern and western coasts. Feeling cooler than Monday.

Tonight:

Any residual rain clearing eastwards, and showers easing, leaving clear skies for many. Turning chilly with lighter winds. Cloud and rain arriving into the far west by dawn.

Wednesday:

A drier to start for many before rain and cloud continues to spread eastwards through Wednesday, turning particularly heavy in northwest Scotland. Windy in the west, and milder than Tuesday.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Turning drier, albeit rather cloudy, in the south on Thursday and Friday, but remaining changeable in the north. Heavy showers, mainly in the north, on Saturday. Turning warmer.

Machinery out of work for foreseeable after floods

13:20 , Athena Stavrou

Wynn Engineering owner Rob James said water had got through a flood barrier into his Littlehampton workshop, affecting machinery.

“I don’t know if they will work again,” he said, adding it could take weeks or months to fix the damage.

The 63-year-old criticised the lack of warning before Monday night’s flooding, adding: “We’re all out of the same boat here. Everyone’s wet.

“No warning whatsoever from any of the Government, council, Environment Agency. People are proper angry about them.”

He said his business had put more barriers at the back door to the workshop ahead of the next high tide, but added: “There is no flood defence down here.”

West Sussex fire crew leave flooding incident scenes

12:55 , Athena Stavrou

Mapped: Where 65mph winds and lashing rain will hit as Met Office issues warnings

12:45 , Athena Stavrou

Britons are being lashed by strong winds and torrential rain on Tuesday, with the Met Office issuing three warnings while hundreds of flood alerts are in place.

Warnings of 65mph winds and power cuts come just days after Storm Kathleen battered the UK over the weekend.

Residents in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset are set to face the strongest winds but impacts are expected to be felt in Wales, northwest England, and along many English Channel coasts including Kent.

Read the full article here:

Mapped: Where 65mph winds will hit as Met Office issues three warnings

Pictures: Easter holiday breaks in ruins as St Ives hit by extreme weather

12:21 , Athena Stavrou

Fire and rescue service warns highest water levels still to come

11:53 , Athena Stavrou

Residents have been warned that more flooding is yet to come in West Sussex as residents are displaced following evacuations.

West Sussex County Council said water levels “have not yet receded”, warning that “flooding may increase throughout the day”.

On Tuesday morning, it said “those who have been evacuated remain displaced”.

Jim Mackay, WSFRS group manager, said the next high tide was “due around lunchtime” and would be “slightly higher than the one we’ve had the other night”.

In a video message posted on the social media platform X, he said: “We are experiencing some very high tides at the moment and the next high tide is due around lunchtime which is actually slightly higher than the one we’ve had the other night.

“Our advice to anybody stuck or trapped by floodwater is to stay on high ground and contact the emergency services by calling 999.”

Watch: Fire service warns water levels to increase today

11:42 , Athena Stavrou

The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have warned that they expect water levels to increase this afternoon.

It comes as residents in and near Littlehampton are being evacuated following extreme flooding overnight.

In pictures: Rescue operation underway in West Sussex

11:28 , Athena Stavrou

Business owner describes devastation following severe flooding

11:14 , Athena Stavrou

A business owner from Littlehampton said one area of the town has been “devastated” by flooding after her parents, in their 70s, were evacuated from their home in the early hours of Tuesday.

Christine Coe, 54, the owner of Rita’s Diner in Rope Walk, said her premises were “luckily” untouched by the flood water but the situation was “very bad”, and her husband’s workshops, where he runs a classic car business, were “underwater”.

She told the PA news agency: “Rope Walk is devastated. My parents are in their 70s, they live just off Rope Walk, and they are both shocked and dealing with being evacuated in the early hours of the morning.

“I’ve spoken with them, they’re staying with family at the moment, but they can’t come back to their bungalow because it’s underwater.

“My husband and his business partner’s two car units are underwater at the moment, they’re just trying to get one of the cars out as the water was over the height of the car wheels, it’s very bad down here.

“Where (Rita’s Diner) is situated, the water comes down the side of it, luckily, so it hasn’t actually come in yet, and I’m hoping it won’t come in on the next tide. My main concern is for the residents and all the other businesses.”

Ambulance service confirms one taken to hospital

10:42 , Athena Stavrou

South East Coast Ambulance confirmed a “number of resources” were sent to help evacuate and rescue a number of people from the site.

“We’ve assessed and triaged a number of people at a nearby facility. One person showing signs of hypothermia has been taken to hospital,” they said on X.

Hundreds of flood warnings in place

10:37 , Athena Stavrou

As severe flooding sparks a rescue operation in West Sussex, large swathes of the UK are also on high alert as hundreds of flood warnings are in place.

The Environment Agency had 213 flood alerts and 100 flood warnings in place in England on Monday evening. National Resources Wales has issued 13 flood warnings and 22 alerts.

Resident in ‘disbelief’ after watching road become engulfed by floodwater

10:26 , Athena Stavrou

A resident of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex said flooding in the town was “scary and unprecedented”, after he stayed awake until the early hours putting flood defences around his property.

Gareth Theobald, 36, told the PA news agency: “I was out the front of the building and watching the water just get higher and higher and higher, and then helping or stopping traffic going into the floodwaters and then just watching in disbelief as the whole of Brighton Road and our multimillion-pound development was being engulfed by floodwaters.”

The industrial relations officer added: “The amount of water is scary and unprecedented and those houses opposite our development are lower-ground flats and they were all flooded under a foot or so of water.”

He said he saw cars “driving into the floods at speed as well and getting stuck” and that “residents in the streets (were) trying to do what they can”.

Pictures: Severe flooding in West Sussex

10:25 , Athena Stavrou

Fire and Rescue service launches rescue operation

10:08 , Athena Stavrou

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has launched a rescue operation as they warn residents to get “as high as possible” amid severe flooding.

Our crews are supporting rescue operations in Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun has burst its banks leading to severe flooding,” they wrote on X.

“Residents should remain in their properties if it is safe to do so and get as high as possible within their homes”