Yellow weather warning for strong wind and heavy rain issued for West Sussex and Surrey

It said there was a risk of heavy rain for southern and eastern parts of Britain on Thursday, October 23.

It added that spray and flooding on roads could leading to difficult driving conditions and increased chance of accidents, making journey times longer.

A statement on the Met Office website said: “A complex area of low pressure over the mid-Atlantic early this week is expected to move towards the UK whilst deepening, but confidence in the details of its track and intensity as it crosses the UK remains fairly low.

“Despite these uncertainties, there is at least a medium likelihood that an extensive, and in places heavy swathe of rain will move into southwestern Britain during Wednesday evening and spread quickly northeast, with totals by early Thursday morning of widely 20-30mm, and for some places 30-50mm.

“There is a small chance a few places could exceed this, most likely over North Devon and Cornwall and more generally in the east of the highlighted area.

“In association with the rain, conditions are expected to turn windy with a chance of gales, initially along southern and eastern coasts, but more widely across southern Britain during Thursday daytime.”

Strong winds are also forecast for the southeast on Thursday.

A statement on the Met Office website said: “A deepening area of low pressure is expected to cross southeast Britain on Thursday, clearing into the North Sea by Thursday evening.

“Winds will pick up in association with the low, and as it clears from the east coast, very strong northwesterly winds are likely to develop.

“Gusts of wind of 45-55 mph can be expected widely, with 65 mph possible near coasts.

“There is a smaller chance, should the low be deeper, that wind gusts of 65-75 mph may develop for a time very locally, this most likely late morning and into the afternoon.”