PERSISTENT heavy rain could cause havoc on the roads and lead to flooding this week.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for Sussex which will last all day on Thursday..

A spokesman said: "Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely.

"Bus and train services will probably be affected, with journey times taking longer.

"Spray and flooding on roads will probably make journey times longer."

An 80 per cent chance of heavy rain is expected from 8am to 6pm on Thursday.

Drizzle is forecast before the downpours and for the rest of the night after the worst of the rain recedes.

Temperatures will be low, ranging from five to three degrees Celsius throughout the day.

A Met Office spokesman added: "Periods of rain are expected to become widespread and locally heavy across parts of England and Wales through Thursday.

"Over western areas, some hill snow is possible, with local accumulations of a few centimetres possible, for example over the higher routes in Wales.

"Rainfall totals of 10-to-20 mm are likely, with some spots potentially seeing totals of 40-to-60 mm."