Strong winds are continuing to batter the South Coast this afternoon.

Forecasters predict that further storm force winds will hit the UK later today. A deep low combined with the high spring tide has led to flooding in many parts of the South and West. In Portsmouth a car parked on a slipway was engulfed by the high tide while nearby at Hill Head firefighters rescued a driver from his flooded vehicle. Near Chichester Harbour the car park of the Ship pub in Langstone was flooded, trapping parked vehicles.

Air Traffic controllers reported that incoming transatlantic flights have been arriving up to an hour early, having been helped across the Atlantic by the strong tailwinds.

Police reported 50 call outs due to the weather in just two hours while a lifeboat and tug were dispatched to a drifting tanker in the Solent.

Earlier, coastguards said that off Hurst Castle in the Solent the wind reached near hurricane force, classified as over 73mph.
A wind speed of 82mph was recorded at Berry Head in Brixham, South Devon, as well as at the Mumbles in Swansea. In south west England 7,000 homes are without power, with 3,000 affected in Wales.

Image: Sian Barnett – high tide at Gelliswick Beach, Milford Haven.