Storm Dennis: Flood alert issued for Emsworth and Westbourne with flooding of homes 'possible'
A flood alert has been issued for Emsworth this afternoon with Storm Dennis set to batter the south coast with strong winds.
The Environment Agency has warned flooding is possible in the area around the lower River Ems which runs past Emsworth and Westbourne.
Residents in the affected areas have been told to take action to prevent homes, fields and roads from being flooded if possible.
According to the agency possible flooding locations include North Street, River Street, the Wren Centre in Westbourne and the vicinity of Lumley Mill and Victoria Terrace in Emsworth.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for rain and wind over the next two days, with gusts of up to 60mph expected early tomorrow morning.
An Environment Agency statement said: ‘It is difficult to accurately predict so far ahead but if the heaviest rain occurs, flooding is possible from 08:00 Sunday 16/2/2020. Flood impacts will include fields, gardens and roads. Property flooding is possible.
‘We are operating our structure at Constant Springs and clearing grilles to help reduce flood risk. We have temporary barrier stored near to Brook Meadows that we can deploy if extreme rainfall occurs.’
Some places could see up to 80mm of rain fall over the weekend, the Met Office has warned.
We will be bringing you all the updates from Storm Dennis throughout the weekend. Stick with us for the latest coverage.