Sussex was lashed by yet another devastating storm during the night, bringing more floods, damage and road chaos.

Trees crashed on to cars, homes were damaged, roads were closed and cars crashed after hitting surface flooding.

Rivers in East Sussex are still being watched closely, with the Uck, Cuckmere and Rother upgraded from flood watch to flood warning.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: "There is a definite possibility of localised flooding, particularly with the rain that we are expecting later today.

A driver escaped serious injury when a tree crashed on to his moving car at Heron's Ghyll at Crowborough. He was freed by firemen.

Workmen shored up beach defences at Selsey through the night and sea defences at Shoreham, Seaford and Pevensey were being monitored.

Crews ran hoses from the centre of Southwick into Shoreham Harbour to drain flood water.

Winds gusted to 80mph and another inch of rain fell overnight. The county has already received more than three inches so far this month, almost the monthly average.

Hove weather expert Ken Woodhams said more than 45 inches have fallen this year, and if another inch arrives then it will be the wettest for more than 100 years.

Two 36ft yachts which became stranded at sea in storm-force winds were escorted to safety by a lifeboat last night.

The Happy Dawn and Happy Morning contacted Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, by radio after experiencing difficulties entering the harbour in Force 10 conditions.

Eastbourne Lifeboat escorted them in turn into the harbour, finishing at about 10.30pm.

Hundreds of tons of cliff crashed down at the rear of the Asda supermarket at Brighton Marina, blocking the Undercliff Walk.

And firefighters fought through the night to stop the River Lavant flooding Chichester town centre with the aid of nine Green Goddess vehicles.

Two vehicles ploughed through floods and crashed on the M23 at Crawley. A 23-year-old Horsham man driving a VW Golf was seriously hurt while a 31-year-old Brighton man in a van walked away unscathed.

The Environment Agency issued 32 flood warnings today.

There was concern for the Ouse at Lewes and the Cuckmere with hide tide at about lunchtime.

Driver Brian Kearney had a narrow escape when a tree crashed just feet behind his car in gales last night. Mr Kearney, 31, was driving along the A24 at Findon at 10pm when a large section of a fir tree smashed into the passenger side of his Volvo.

He slammed on the brakes as the rest of the tree fell behind his car.

Mr Kearney, director of Horsham Business Systems, said: "I looked in my mirror and could see the rest of the tree come down right behind me and fall across both lanes.

"Less than a second later and the tree would have been right on top of my car.

"I put my hazard lights on and called the police on my phone and as I was talking I saw another car drive straight into the tree."

The wall of a house in Harebeating Drive, Hailsham, was blown away in the storms, leaving a gaping hole.