Storm Austen brings flooding and travel chaos to southern England
The Environment Agency warns of wave overtopping and debris spray in the Chiswell area.
A flood warning is in effect for a stretch of the Dorset coast as Storm Austen sweeps across southern England. The Environment Agency issued the warning for the Chiswell area, urging people to avoid seafronts and harbours due to wave overtopping and spray containing debris. The warning covers Brandy Row, Pebble Lane, Victoria Square up to Queens Road, and car parks along the A354. The A354 Portland Beach Road and the Causeway was closed after flooding but reopened shortly before 9 a.m. BST, with Dorset Council saying it would stay open unless conditions deteriorate.
Rail services have been severely disrupted after three trees fell on lines. The first tree came down near Bournemouth, and South Western Railway said it had been removed and track damage repaired, with checks underway to reopen the line. Another tree then fell east of Bournemouth station, blocking all lines between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst. A third tree came down near Holton Heath station, blocking the line from Wareham towards Bournemouth.
On the Isle of Wight, forecast severe weather halted Island Line trains along Ryde Pier. A minibus is shuttling passengers between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head for the Wightlink FastCat to Portsmouth. Red Funnel's Southampton Town Quay to West Cowes Red Jet service has been halted, though its vehicle ferry is running to timetable. Wightlink cancelled a number of sailings across all three of its routes on Friday, with the worst weather expected around midday. Hovertravel crossings between Southsea in Portsmouth and Ryde are also disrupted.
The Environment Agency advises people in the flood warning area to move loved ones, pets and valuables to a safe place, move to higher ground, and turn off gas, electricity and water if it is safe to do so. Several flood alerts are also in place across Dorset, covering areas including Christchurch Harbour, Preston Beach at Weymouth, Swanage Bay, and Poole Harbour. Alerts on the west coast cover Lyme Regis, Charmouth, West Bay, and Chesil Beach. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the south coast, including Dorset, the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, until 5 p.m. BST on Friday. An amber weather warning for strong winds is in place for Cornwall and parts of Devon. Travellers are being urged to check their journey in full before setting out.
With files from Yahoo News, BBC News and Largs and Millport News