Littlehampton floods spark get to high ground warning as worse to come – weather live

Residents have been warned that more flooding is yet to come in West Sussex as residents are displaced following evacuations.

West Sussex County Council said water levels “have not yet receded”, warning that “flooding may increase throughout the day”.

On Tuesday morning, it said “those who have been evacuated remain displaced”.

Jim Mackay, WSFRS group manager, said the next high tide was “due around lunchtime” and would be “slightly higher than the one we’ve had the other night”.

In a video message posted on the social media platform X, he said: “We are experiencing some very high tides at the moment and the next high tide is due around lunchtime which is actually slightly higher than the one we’ve had the other night.

“Our advice to anybody stuck or trapped by floodwater is to stay on high ground and contact the emergency services by calling 999.”

The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have warned that they expect water levels to increase this afternoon.

It comes as residents in and near Littlehampton are being evacuated following extreme flooding overnight.

A business owner from Littlehampton said one area of the town has been “devastated” by flooding after her parents, in their 70s, were evacuated from their home in the early hours of Tuesday.

Christine Coe, 54, the owner of Rita’s Diner in Rope Walk, said her premises were “luckily” untouched by the flood water but the situation was “very bad”, and her husband’s workshops, where he runs a classic car business, were “underwater”.

She told the PA news agency: “Rope Walk is devastated. My parents are in their 70s, they live just off Rope Walk, and they are both shocked and dealing with being evacuated in the early hours of the morning.

“I’ve spoken with them, they’re staying with family at the moment, but they can’t come back to their bungalow because it’s underwater.

“My husband and his business partner’s two car units are underwater at the moment, they’re just trying to get one of the cars out as the water was over the height of the car wheels, it’s very bad down here.

“Where (Rita’s Diner) is situated, the water comes down the side of it, luckily, so it hasn’t actually come in yet, and I’m hoping it won’t come in on the next tide. My main concern is for the residents and all the other businesses.”

South East Coast Ambulance confirmed a “number of resources” were sent to help evacuate and rescue a number of people from the site.

“We’ve assessed and triaged a number of people at a nearby facility. One person showing signs of hypothermia has been taken to hospital,” they said on X.

As severe flooding sparks a rescue operation in West Sussex, large swathes of the UK are also on high alert as hundreds of flood warnings are in place.

The Environment Agency had 213 flood alerts and 100 flood warnings in place in England on Monday evening. National Resources Wales has issued 13 flood warnings and 22 alerts.

A resident of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex said flooding in the town was “scary and unprecedented”, after he stayed awake until the early hours putting flood defences around his property.

Gareth Theobald, 36, told the PA news agency: “I was out the front of the building and watching the water just get higher and higher and higher, and then helping or stopping traffic going into the floodwaters and then just watching in disbelief as the whole of Brighton Road and our multimillion-pound development was being engulfed by floodwaters.”

The industrial relations officer added: “The amount of water is scary and unprecedented and those houses opposite our development are lower-ground flats and they were all flooded under a foot or so of water.”

He said he saw cars “driving into the floods at speed as well and getting stuck” and that “residents in the streets (were) trying to do what they can”.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has launched a rescue operation as they warn residents to get “as high as possible” amid severe flooding.

Our crews are supporting rescue operations in Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun has burst its banks leading to severe flooding,” they wrote on X.

“Residents should remain in their properties if it is safe to do so and get as high as possible within their homes”