• More than 40 flood alerts in place
  • Check MailOnline's 'flood warnings widget' for live updates
  • Brighton one of worst hit with nearly three times average rainfall for whole month in 11 days
  • Torrential rain causes seven-mile long traffic jam on M3 leaving commuters three hours late for work
  • Nearly 500 homes in Oxford hit by power blackouts
  • RSPCA in dramatic two-hour rescue after herd of cattle left stranded in flooded field in West Sussex
  • More than 70mm of rain fell in parts of country yesterday

By Amy Oliver

PUBLISHED: 03:42 EST, 12 June 2012 | UPDATED: 08:07 EST, 12 June 2012

Forty-six areas have been put on flood alert this morning after nearly a month and a half's worth of rain fell on parts of the South East in 36 hours.

The South West and mid Wales have been worst hit by the rain which has battered Britain and in Wimbledon, London, it has been raining continuously since 4pm on Sunday.

Elsewhere Brighton has had nearly three times the average rainfall for the whole month in 11 days, and the Environment Agency still has flood warnings for the region.

The Environment Agency has issued more than 40 flood alerts across England and Wales, and five more severe flood warnings in the region. The South East is set to bear the brunt of the weather with 33 flood alerts followed by the Anglian region with five alerts in place.

The wet weather is set to continue for the coming days, and could take a turn for the worse on Friday.

Julian Mayes a forecaster for Meteogroup, said: 'The reason it has been so wet in the South is because the jet stream has switched from its normal position just to the north of Scotland to down over southern England this month, and depressions follow that feature.'

On the other hand, Scotland is enjoying unusually dry weather for this time of year.

Glasgow has had 28mm (1.1in), and Oban, normally one of the wettest parts of the western Highlands, has had 9mm (0.4in) this month.

Scroll down for live flood warning widget

Not so Smart... A couple braved this flood in Hadham, Hertfordshire in their Smart car and miraculously made it through without conking out today

Not so Smart... A couple braved this flood in Hadham, Hertfordshire in their Smart car and miraculously made it through without conking out today

...Unlike these two: Two cars sit in the flood water in Hadham after not quite making it through the water today

Water world: Much of the Riverside Caravan Park on Shripney Road, Bognor Regis lies underwater after the region was hit with nearly a month and a half's worth of rain in 36 hours

Water world: Much of the Riverside Caravan Park on Shripney Road, Bognor Regis lies underwater after the region was hit with nearly a month and a half's worth of rain in 36 hours

Floating city: The Riverside Caravan Park in Bognor Regis is subject to a flood alert from the Environment Agency

A river runs through it: The road looks like a river complete with floating cars, in Felpham, Bognor Regis after the heavy rain

A river runs through it: The road looks like a river complete with floating cars, in Felpham, Bognor Regis after the heavy rain

'It's a reversal of the average weather pattern,' Mr Mayes said. 'Normally it gets wetter as you go to the North West. This month it gets wetter as you go south.'

The South East has the most warnings in place and was one of the worst affected areas yesterday. Flood waters coursed through homes, down roads and even closed a hospital yesterday. More than three inches, or 80mm, fell in parts of the country after the rains began on Sunday night.

In Wiggonholt, West Sussex nearly a month-and-a-half's worth of rain has fallen in just 36 hours. 72mm fell in the 36-hour period since Sunday evening. The average rainfall for the area is 52.9mm

The average rainfall for the whole of June in the South-East is just two inches, or 50mm.

The Environment Agency warned of further rain across the South East today and unsettled weather for the rest of the week. Although there was a lower than forecast amount of rain overnight, more heavy rain is expected into the weekend, it added.

Heavy rain is expected to continue today across the southeast and parts of East Anglia likely resulting in flooding, especially in Sussex and Hampshire. Around 15 to 25mm of rain has been forecast in the worst affected areas in the South today.

Met Office forecaster, Dan Williams, said: '15 to 25mm isn't particularly significant but when it comes on top of the rain we've already had it is significant and increases the potential for flooding.'

Wet play day: A seagull swoops in to a flooded public park in Worthing, Sussex, after rain continued to pound the region today

Wet play day: A seagull swoops in to a flooded public park in Worthing, Sussex, after rain continued to pound the region today

Wading in June: A couple wade through flood water at Barnham near Chichester yesterday after heavy rain led to widespread flooding across the country

Wading in June: A couple wade through flood water at Barnham near Chichester yesterday after heavy rain led to widespread flooding across the country

Not 99 weather: A trio trudge along Brighton seafront as the rain lashes down today. Parts of Sussex have been the worst affected in the deluge

Not 99 weather: A trio trudge along Brighton seafront as the rain lashes down today. Parts of Sussex have been the worst affected in the deluge

cow-tastrophe: A herd of cattle had to be rescued from a flooded field in West Sussex, yesterday by the RSPCA after the River Arun burst its banks

Spraying the roadside: A car drives through a large puddle on a road amid persistent rain in the village of Winchfield, Hampshire, today

Spraying the roadside: A car drives through a large puddle on a road amid persistent rain in the village of Winchfield, Hampshire, today

Dangerous: The standing water was a hazard on the road in Winchfield as cars and lorries were forced to slow down to cross it today

He added the continuous rain was 'reasonably unusual but not unprecedented' for this time of year.

Julia Simpson, the Environment Agency's regional duty manager, added: 'Some rivers have stabilised but others are yet to peak as the water moves through, so we could potentially see further flood alerts and flood warnings being issued.'

The torrential rain caused a seven-mile long traffic jam on the busy M3 motorway this morning leaving commuters three hours late for work.

Two lanes were closed on the Southbound carriageway between Fleet and Hook, Hants, as flood drains blocked.

Motorist Dan Newson, 24, said: 'I was travelling to work at around 5am, it usually takes no time at all to get there but I was almost three hours later for work.'

A Tesco supermarket’s bakery in Cosham, Hants, was evacuated after isles flooded due to a drain inside the store spouting out water.

As river levels continued to rise to dangerous levels today, nearly 500 homes in Oxford were hit by power blackouts.

Hazardous: A lorry prepares to negotiate standing water on the A33, which is closed due to flooding in Chineham near Basingstoke, Hampshire yesterday. The Environment Agency has put out more than 40 flood warnings across the country

Hazardous: A lorry prepares to negotiate standing water on the A33, which is closed due to flooding in Chineham near Basingstoke, Hampshire yesterday. The Environment Agency has put out more than 40 flood warnings across the country

Be aware: The map on the left shows the rain concentrated in the South East while the map on the right shows the majority of red flood warnings are located in the South East and East Anglia today

It meant a cold breakfast and no hot water for families in the north of the city around the Summertown area. Southern Electric spokesman Hannah Gleave said about 470 homes in the area had been affected, with power going off at 6am.

And yesterday a seven-strong team of RSPCA officers staged a dramatic two-hour rescue after a herd of cattle became trapped in a flooded field in Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex after the River Arun burst its banks.

Inspector Rosie Russon, who led the specialist water rescue team, said: 'The farmer was really worried that they were going to drown because the water had reached 5ft and was still rising.

'The cattle were stuck on a small patch of the field and we had to persuade them to walk through 5ft of fast flowing water to get to the gate and out on the lane so they could be moved to another field.

The dreadful conditions are set to continue into tomorrow as well. Showers, some heavy are expected to hit northern and western parts of the UK and there’s also a risk of thunder for Wales and in the south west. 

The sun may show itself briefly on Thursday but it will be replaced by persistent rain for those in the south west and south Wales through
the day. And on Friday an area of heavy rain is expected to move northwards across the UK. The south can look forward to frequent heavy downpours with a risk of thunder.

West Sussex was hit hard yesterday, with at least 26 apartments flooded in Littlehampton and firefighters receiving 200 flood-related calls.

The basement of Worthing Hospital was also under water, forcing emergency patients to be diverted to neighbouring Brighton and Chichester for several hours.

But the disruption from the deluge was not contained to the south coast. In Leeds, heavy rain caused drains to back up and roads and homes to flood, with water up to four feet deep.

Overflowing drains also caused 20 beaches on the Kent coast to be closed when raw sewage ran into the sea.

The occupants of two cars had to be rescued from floodwater just half a mile from each other in Southwick, Hampshire, in separate incidents.

A man was rescued from his 40ft barge after rising river levels pinned it against a pontoon in Worcestershire.

Rain-cation: Bedraggled tourists cross a Union Jack-lined Mall in the downpour as heavy rain hit the capital causing miserable conditions for many yesterday

Rain-cation: Bedraggled tourists cross a Union Jack-lined Mall in the downpour as heavy rain hit the capital causing miserable conditions for many yesterday

Dark and stormy: The UK is shrouded in rain clouds on a weather map this morning

Dark and stormy: The UK is shrouded in rain clouds on a weather map this morning

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And in Bracknell, Berkshire, Fox Hill Primary School was closed on the first day back after half-term as its drains could not cope with the rainfall.

Sports fans also suffered disappointment with all the first-day matches at the Queen’s Club tennis tournament in London postponed and cricket abandoned at the Test match between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston.

Rita Haskett, 69, who came from Taunton, Somerset, to watch the tennis, said: ‘This is the third time we have come to Queen’s and this is the worst weather we have had. It just hasn’t stopped raining.’

Elsewhere, the RSPCA said it was working closely with fire services to rescue stranded animals, including 20 cows at Cuckfield Road near Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, left marooned on a river bank.

Gemma Plumb, of forecasters Meteogroup, said there would be more rain and overcast skies for the rest of the week.

Incredibly, despite the torrential conditions, the Met Office said the UK was still below its average rainfall for the year. Between January and May, 392.5 millimetres of rain fell across the country, compared with an average of 439 millimetres.

In southern England – including drought-hit areas in East Anglia, the South East and the Thames Valley – 281.8 millimetres of rain fell from January to May. The average is 303.2 millimetres.

Meanwhile, a special disaster fund is to be set up after more than 1,500 people were moved from their homes and 150 rescued in Mid Wales over the weekend.

No, not Spain but Cornwall: A woman makes the most of the sunshine before the next shower on Gylly Beach Falmouth today

No, not Spain but Cornwall: A woman makes the most of the sunshine before the next shower on Gylly Beach Falmouth today

Brooding sky: But revellers may not be out in Falmouth for long as dark clouds start to gather today

Brooding sky: But revellers may not be out in Falmouth for long as dark clouds start to gather today


Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

Why are people arguing over weather conditions throughout the country, its unavoidable and who cares.

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Ronnie, You can stick your northern water where the sun dont shine via a hosepipe!!. I dont believe "us southerners" are allowed anywhere near your water supplies and, if the sun continues to shine and your reservours dry out you aint having any of ours :)

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we still have a hoze pipe bane, so i started a e-petition 33621 to slap the water Companies but Mail wont let me give you full ?

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to everyone whinging about the hose pipe ban,why the hell do you want to use one anyway when its bucketing down?get a grip people!!

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I love to see the weather making monkeys of the Met Office, it happens every time. Drought, eh?

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Do not worry. We will get good weather and it will last longer into the year( remember last year, still warm in October/November). Plus, I will put a bet on as soon as we get some decent weather, the moaners will be out in force, complaining of how 'hot' it is! Anything over 70 degrees, will be described as 'sweltering'! ( How much shall put on)?

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-Tony, Pompey, 12/6/2012 14:41.......I would be very happy if all YOU had to drink was your own urine.

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My heart does go out to all people who have been affected by flooding - can't imagine anything worse, except perhaps fire. But looking out onto my rain soaked garden, I couldn't help but be reminded of the song "The Forty Shades of Green". The garden looks so beautiful Thank you weather god. Our arid plants & trees so needed a good drink and our reservoirs & rivers so needed filling up.

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Its something development doesn't tell you. Reclaiming marsh land and flood plains for industry and housing does have it's perils. The more flood defences they build, the more flooding further down the river instead. How much of this flood water is left to run away with the rivers after the chaos ? Two months later hose pipe bans will be back because most of the flood water was not redirected away from homes and bussinesses and into flood reservoirs, instead it's pushed further up or down a river, saving one village and flooding another. Look at the Americans with their huge storm drains. Think of the jobs created to build a full flood defence infrastructure and the millions saved in insurance claims every year, if only we had a goverment with a backbone to be bold and instead of austerity, build our way out of negative growth while shaping our future. Ask yourself this one question... What would the Victorians have done ? I rest my case.

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"Ah..quit moaning...you want full reservoirs don't you? Move to Spain if you don't like it...ooops! - merc, welshpool," * * * - Interestingly, despite the drought here over the winter reservoirs are nearly full. No ban on hosepipes, swimming pools are in use and the golf courses watered. it can be done, with proper foresight and management

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