Storm Babet: Sever weather could impact railway services in Sussex until Friday

The announcement comes after the MET office issued a yellow weather warning lasting from today until the end of Friday and, although customers have been told to travel as they normally would for now, they should make sure to check travel and information boards in advance in order to minimise disruption.

Today, persistent rain is expected from the Southwest this afternoon, with bursts of heavy rain and some chance of lightning. Wind speeds are expected to be between 40 and 50 mph. Showers are expected tomorrow morning (October 19), leading to heavy rain with a strong chance of lighting in the afternoon. It is expected to ease off as the evening sets in.

As of Friday, October 20, heavy rain and high winds are expected throughout the South East, increasing throughout the day, leading to a greater risk of flooding.

It’s anticipated that the spells of heavy rain and showers might disrupt railway services across the country, including parts of the Southern Railway network.

"High winds bring the risk of fallen trees and debris blown onto the tracks, whilst heavy rain can lead to localised flooding,” a spokesperson said. “We have been working with Network Rail to understand where the biggest risks are, and mitigation work has been carried out. Additional staff and resources have been deployed to assist.”