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Flooding and transport disruption after Storm Aurore hits South East

Sue Marsh Flooding in LittlehamptonSue Marsh
Sue Marsh said her street in Littlehampton "just turned into a river"

Heavy rain and strong winds overnight have led to flooding of homes and businesses, and the closure of roads and rail lines across the South East.

Knockholt in Kent had the highest rainfall figures in the country.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a collision with a car on the M23, with the road closed for several hours between Crawley and Pease Pottage.

Trains between Crowborough and Uckfield have resumed, after a landslip caused services to be suspended.

Services through Greenhithe have also been suspended. Network Rail said engineers are still working to clear 30 tonnes of debris from the line.

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West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it had received hundreds of calls overnight, including from people who needed to be rescued from their cars after driving into floodwater.

The fire service said it was called to deal with flooding to homes and businesses across the county, reaching a peak in the early hours of Thursday.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to reports of dangerous scaffolding in Hastings and flooding in Eastbourne and Chiddingly.

The A272 was closed near Rogate in West Sussex after a crash in floodwater, Sussex Police said.

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Flooding also closed roads in Godstone and Goldalming in Surrey overnight.

A low-pressure system named Storm Aurore moved in from France, bringing heavy rain and 45mph winds in the worst affected areas.

Knockholt in Kent received 58mm of rain in the 24 hours up to midnight on Wednesday - the highest figure in the country, BBC weather presenter Kate Kinsella said.

Eddie Mitchell FloodingEddie Mitchell
Heavy rain has meant the closure of many roads across the South East overnight

The Met Office had issued amber and yellow rain warnings for the southern counties and Channel Islands until 03:00 BST on Thursday, but said the most severe impact of the storm was felt in northern France.

Three flood warnings, which mean flooding is expected, are in place in Surrey, four more in Kent, five in West Sussex and four in East Sussex.

More than 60 flood alerts have been issued across Kent, East and West Sussex and Surrey, meaning flooding is possible.

Eddie Mitchell FloodingEddie Mitchell
Emergency services were called out hundreds of times overnight across the South East
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