(Commonwealth_UK) Heavy rain overnight has led to significant flooding across the southeast of England, impacting properties, transportation routes, and travel plans. Flood warnings have been issued for areas in East Sussex and Kent, with conditions expected to remain hazardous through Friday morning. According to the Environment Agency, at least 45 properties have reported flooding across Kent, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and the surrounding Home Counties. The adverse weather has also caused substantial travel delays, particularly affecting train services. Major rail operators, including Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink, have reported disruptions due to the severe weather conditions.
Drivers are advised to seek alternative routes into London, as the northbound entry slip road from the M25 at junction 10 (Guildford) was temporarily closed due to flooding. Fortunately, by 11:00 BST, traffic monitoring service Inrix reported that the slip road had reopened, allowing for improved access. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain, effective from 05:00 until 23:59 on Monday, covering Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. This warning signifies that some communities may experience isolation due to flooded roads, as well as potential power outages and loss of services to homes and businesses.
Flood warnings have been specifically highlighted for the River Medway, stretching between Forest Row and Penshurst, along with the Rivers Eden and Eden Brook in the same region. Additional flood alerts have been raised for the River Rother and its tributaries, the lower and middle sections of the River Medway, and areas surrounding the River Bourne from Hadlow to East Peckham in Kent. Sussex is also under flood alerts, with particular emphasis on the Upper Ouse and River Adur, including areas around Gatwick Airport and nearby towns like Crawley and Horley.
Despite the widespread flooding, Gatwick Airport confirmed that operations were unaffected on Monday morning. However, Network Rail has expressed apologies to passengers for disruptions on the trains due to flooding on the Hayes and Hastings lines. In a statement on X, they noted that flooding at Wadhurst had impacted essential signaling equipment, and a flooded transformer required replacement.
By the evening, Southeastern Railway indicated that repairs to the service between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings had been “unsuccessful,” resulting in a reduced timetable for the remainder of the day. Meanwhile, flooding issues on the Hayes line at Lower Sydenham have been resolved, and services there are now running normally. National Rail reported earlier disruptions affecting Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink services, while South Western Railway announced that lines had reopened following flooding incidents at Walton-On-Thames. As the situation develops, authorities continue to monitor the weather and flooding conditions closely, urging residents and travelers to stay informed and exercise caution.
