Flooding causes traffic chaos across Sussex

4:11pm Wednesday 4th August 2010 in News

DELUGE: Uckfield High Street is underwater this afternoon. Picture by Mike Harvey-Penton DELUGE: Uckfield High Street is underwater this afternoon. Picture by Mike Harvey-Penton

Flash flooding is causing travel chaos across Sussex this afternoon.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue have received reports from members of the public that cars are floating in the excessive rainwater in Uckfield.

The high street there is also blocked with water levels reaching car bumpers. Firefighters are pumping water out of the Cock and Bull pub and staff at the St James's and St Paul's Hospice charity shop told The Argus the water has ruined much of its stock.

Both Southern and First Capital Connect services are running with delays of up to 50 minutes after flooding at Haywards Heath.

Both lines through Haywards Heath are open, but the northbound one is subject to a 20mph speed limit.

First Capital Connect is terminating some trains at Gatwick, and its tickets are being accepted on Southern and local bus services.

Southern is also running rail replacement buses from Brighton to Haywards Heath.

Surface water on the M25 is causing heavy delays between Junction 6 (A22) and Junction 7 (M23).

And the A27 is partially blocked following an accident at the A26 Southerham Roundabout at Lewes.

Storms are currently hitting Lewes, Chichester and Heathfield and Brighton.

In Bognor, Mark Holland said a downpour at about 4pm had flattened his lavender.

Click here for the latest rail and bus news.

Click here for the latest traffic news.

Are you caught up in the chaos? Let us know how the rain is affecting your journey, or email your flooding pictures to picture.desk@theargus.co.uk

Comments(28)

adorable says...
4:14pm Wed 4 Aug 10

What rain..............

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Dwayno says...
4:26pm Wed 4 Aug 10

Makes a change from Snow.....

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leobrighton says...
4:49pm Wed 4 Aug 10

oh no not the lavender!

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John Steed says...
4:56pm Wed 4 Aug 10

the A27 between arundle and tangmere was hit by a deluge of torrential rain reducing visibility to about 20 feet (6 metres) within 5 minutes the rain was gone completely and the reoads were free of water other than the odd puddle, no accidents occured
lightning continued for another 10 mins 15.50hrs

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pun master says...
6:06pm Wed 4 Aug 10

John Steed wrote:
the A27 between arundle and tangmere was hit by a deluge of torrential rain reducing visibility to about 20 feet (6 metres) within 5 minutes the rain was gone completely and the reoads were free of water other than the odd puddle, no accidents occured lightning continued for another 10 mins 15.50hrs
Right, but so what? Like Leo said, what about the LAVENDER! **** YOU RAIN! **** YOU! Lets get the best plant minds we can together - call Kew; call Wisley, lets muck in torestore the lavender... Hang on. I'm on holiday in France. And I have lavender in my Eastbourne house... Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on Argus - standards AGAIN...

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bladebot says...
6:33pm Wed 4 Aug 10

"Storms are currently hitting Lewes, Chichester and Heathfield and Brighton."

Storms? It was just a bit of rain, heavy albeit at about 16:30 and only lasted 15 minutes, sheesh.

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acoustic says...
6:35pm Wed 4 Aug 10

The Co-Op roof has collapsed in Heathfield. So much for flat roofs in the British summer!

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tombraider59 says...
6:45pm Wed 4 Aug 10

We didn't get very much rain in Sompting, I'm sad to say because my Lavender is thirsty!!

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sussexram40 says...
6:50pm Wed 4 Aug 10

Shame about that man's lavender getting flattened. Let's hope it recovers. I trust the Argus will publish a follow up story letting us know how it's getting. Maybe they can send a photographer down to get a picture?

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Charismatic Andrew says...
7:45pm Wed 4 Aug 10

sussexram40 wrote:
Shame about that man's lavender getting flattened. Let's hope it recovers. I trust the Argus will publish a follow up story letting us know how it's getting. Maybe they can send a photographer down to get a picture?
Never mind the Argus. When the Nationals pick up on it we won't hear the last of it.

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*jo* says...
8:02pm Wed 4 Aug 10

never mind the lavender. what about my hair???!!!

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miss cookie mumble says...
8:14pm Wed 4 Aug 10

wonder if david cameron will now help those hit by the floods in the uk?????

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Christophe Hawtree says...
8:41pm Wed 4 Aug 10

I have just been into the garden and I am sure that the world's media will be glad to hear that my rosemary is all right, perhaps because it has become rather covered by the raspberries and the tomatoes (which have also survived). But the really vital question is: what is the best way to ensure a good crop of basil? It can be as hard as parsley to get beyond the first stages.

All this talk of storms puzzled me, but then perhaps the Downs protect Hove and Brighton from nature's worst (if not from a certain local authority's violent nature).

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the taffster says...
8:58pm Wed 4 Aug 10

theres not an awful lot to do in bognor.assessing your lavender crop whiles away some time.believe me its not the hub of activity.

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Charismatic Andrew says...
9:32pm Wed 4 Aug 10

Never mind the lavender. My wife was out sunbathing in the garden and her bush has been totally flattened.

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John Steed says...
10:05pm Wed 4 Aug 10

Charismatic Andrew wrote:
Never mind the lavender. My wife was out sunbathing in the garden and her bush has been totally flattened.
should have done some pruning while the going was good.
still red sky at night and all that

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southwicker says...
11:24pm Wed 4 Aug 10

I missed it all guttin was in
London the train even got me directly back to shoreham no
probs ... Shame about mark in bognors lavender though hope it springs back up soon x

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Valerie Paynter says...
12:15am Thu 5 Aug 10

A bit of misty spritzing from the clouds was our lot near Hove Station. Lavender flattened here too: wilted.

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bertnz says...
12:20am Thu 5 Aug 10

Oh super, No hose pipe ban !

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Everest says...
7:13am Thu 5 Aug 10

Wha about reporting that the rain washed away the poop a bird left on my car?

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Everest says...
7:13am Thu 5 Aug 10

What about reporting that the rain washed away the poop a bird left on my car?

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Tye says...
7:58am Thu 5 Aug 10

adorable wrote:
What rain..............
So what are you saying?

Its not raining anywhere, you don't care if other people are suffering after havig their homes flooded or are you complaining that the argus is not targetting you and only you as it sole reader?

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Made In Sussex says...
9:02am Thu 5 Aug 10

Hmmm! It only takes 5 minutes of heavy rain in the Lewes area and two crashes just after the westbound A27\Southerham roundabout. Then another crash just before eastbound hollingbury exit. Fortunatley I avoided them but many didnt..name and shame the stupid muppets involved..

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Wiggsy says...
12:34pm Thu 5 Aug 10

Tye wrote:
adorable wrote: What rain..............
So what are you saying? Its not raining anywhere, you don't care if other people are suffering after havig their homes flooded or are you complaining that the argus is not targetting you and only you as it sole reader?
Or was perhaps just being ironic?

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*jo* says...
1:32pm Thu 5 Aug 10

Made In Sussex wrote:
Hmmm! It only takes 5 minutes of heavy rain in the Lewes area and two crashes just after the westbound A27\Southerham roundabout. Then another crash just before eastbound hollingbury exit. Fortunatley I avoided them but many didnt..name and shame the stupid muppets involved..
because a public flogging will do what good?

You'd do well to remember that sometimes accidents can be just that - accidental! Not everyone who has an accident is a "muppet".

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munglebean says...
8:29pm Thu 5 Aug 10

'and staff at the St James's and St Paul's Hospice charity shop told The Argus the water has ruined much of its stock.'
Dont they mean the 'St Peter and St James' Hospice??? Useless Argus!

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mr lover lover says...
9:43pm Thu 5 Aug 10

its raining hevely at beverly)))))))))

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Dickie Manlove says...
1:40am Fri 6 Aug 10

I don’t believe for one minute the rain was to blame for Mr Hollands flattened lavender, I bet you a weeks pocket money that flattened patch in the lavender is the exact same size as Mr Hollands round arse….coincidence? me thinks not.

Ps…all of my herbs, plants and flowers faired well against the storm….coincidence
? me thinks not.

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