HIGHWAY teams will be on standby overnight in Hampshire, after a warning of heavy rainfall has been given.
Drivers tonight are being warned they face minor delays on the A27 east bound between the junctions with the A259 Chichester East and the A285 Chichester, due to flooding closing one lane.
The road is expected to open at 10pm tonight.
But with heavy rainfall and high winds expected throughout the night, Hampshire County Council said its highway teams will be on standby to deal with excessive surface water, flooding and blocked highways drains.
Arboriculture teams will also be deployed to deal with any trees or branches that may fall.
Councillor Mel Kendal, deputy leader and executive member for environment and transport at the county council, said: ‘We are bracing ourselves yet again for some extremely heavy rainfall tonight, accompanied by strong gusts of wind at predicted speeds of up to 60mph.
‘Our highways teams are ready, with additional support from extra gully tankers, emergency response teams and tree crews on stand-by to help keep Hampshire moving, by dealing with flooding on our roads or setting up diversion routes if a road has to be closed.
‘We are expecting the rain to fall at its heaviest overnight, but it is still possible some journeys will be affected tomorrow morning.
‘The combination of heavy rain on existing saturated ground conditions, together with strong winds, could also lead to fallen trees or branches on the highway, possibly affecting power and communication lines and potentially adding to disruption in the morning.’
People are being urged to drive carefully.
The county council is also asking people to report incidences of flooding on Hampshire’s roads.
Visit hants.gov.uk/roadproblems, or by call 0845 603 5633.
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