More storms to come, warns County Times weatherman

Storms plaguing the Horsham district could continue over the coming weekend, Ian Michaelwaite, the County Times weatherman, has warned.
Stormy weather.Stormy weather.
Stormy weather.

Kingsfold-based Ian, of Net Weather, said: “Thankfully we have a couple of days respite, but Friday might deliver another blow with more heavy rain and wind, but not as severe as the last 24 hours.”

Ian explained how gusts of more than 70mph has caused significant damage in the county.

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He said: “The last 24 hours packed a real punch, with gusts of over 70mph recorded on the Sussex coast and locally over 60mph across the district.

“One of the reasons why we have seen so much disruption from the wind is that the strongest gusts came from a southerly direction, where we would normally see a westerly wind - so trees usually grow to brace against a westerly wind, with the saturated ground not helping, the sudden powerful gusts have been able to take whole trees down, as well as cause damage to branches.

“This tree damage and debris has also added to the flooding issues as drains and gullies quickly get blocked, allowing water to collect and flood in the heavy rain.”

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