Motorists are warned to stay off the road as cars get stuck in floodwaters caused by downpours and the UK prepares for “miserable conditions” over the next two days.
The With office issued weather warnings like a rainstorm, coming in Cornwall on Wednesday afternoon, travels across the country before passing the east coast of Scotland on Friday.
Conditions could be “appalling” for much of the UK, while the Scottish highlands could see some snow, the forecaster said as he issued a yellow warning for rain.
In West Sussex the A27 was closed in both directions between Emsworth and Chichester after torrential rain – leaving up to 20 cars trapped in floodwaters, according to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
The service posted on Twitter: “Law enforcement at the scene and the road was closed in both directions. We are present with specialist equipment to bring people to safety. AVOID THE AREA and only travel if necessary.”
Some rail lines were affected on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, with disruption between Tonbridge and Hasting caused by flooding in a tunnel at Wadhurst in East Sussex.
National Rail said it had rectified a tunnel malfunction with a blown fuse and a melted piece of signaling equipment, with disruption on the line until at least 6am.
Flooding between Lewes and Brighton stations is also causing disruptions expected until 9am, including cancellations and delays.
On the Isle of Wight, flooding has led to the cancellation of trains on the Island Line until 09:00.
And motorists were warned by travel service Romanse of “severe delays” around the A27 and A3M near Havant, Hampshire, due to flooding caused by the rain.
Police in Winchester, Hampshire, have also reported a large tree coming down and blocking a road in Swanmore.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency had issued three flood warnings and 43 flood warnings as of Wednesday afternoon, mostly along the south coast.
The Met Office’s first weather warning began at 5pm and covered a southeastern area stretching from Southampton and the Isle of Wight in Hampshire to the coast in Kent, until 6am on Thursday.
Forecasters warned roads, homes and businesses could be flooded and transportation services disrupted.
Another yellow rain warning then came into effect across much of the UK throughout the whole of Thursday, from 00:00 to 23:59.
This covers an area stretching from Birmingham, Lincoln and Hull to North Wales, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as the east coast up to the Scottish border.
The rain carries a slim chance of flooding homes and businesses, temporarily cutting communities off with flooded roads and disruptions to transportation, the Met Office warns.
A third warning will come into effect from 3pm Thursday to 6pm Friday for the east coast of Scotland stretching from the English border beyond Aberdeen with similar risks of flooding and transport interruptions.
A yellow weather warning was also issued on Thursday for fog in parts of Northern Ireland from 4:40am to 10am.
Met Office spokesman Craig Snell said: “The warning areas are where we are most concerned about the risk of flooding, but that doesn’t mean the areas beyond won’t see some pretty horrific conditions.”
Mr Snell said there is a warning for the South East as “it has been quite wet there since the beginning of November and many places are already receiving more than their monthly share of rain”.
The Midlands and the north of England will have a “pretty miserable day” on Thursday after rain poured in overnight, Snell said.
“The rain is accompanied by a strong wind, so that doesn’t feel good.”
But he added Scotland could experience “two days of continuous rain” and this could result in snowfall in the highlands – although this is not unusual for November.
“If you want to go for a walk in the hills in Scotland tomorrow, you might come across snow, but for the lower tiers it’s just going to be rain,” he said.
RAC roadside spokesman Rod Dennis warned motorists to “exercise great caution” during the wet weather.
“The chance of being involved in a collision increases enormously in wet weather, and even more so when there is snow, so it is vital that drivers slow down, leave enough space behind the vehicle ahead and use their lights to make sure make them easy to drive. seen by other road users,” he said.
“The risk of aquaplaning, where a vehicle’s wheels lose contact with the road when skimming over still water, will be high, especially for those who don’t slow down to the speed appropriate for the conditions.”