Hampshire suffered a new year storm battering as wind and rain hammered the south coast.

New Year’s Day football matches and ferry services were cancelled yesterday, while an eight-mile stretch of a major road was shut due to flooding.

And coastal communities have been warned to be aware of possible tidal flooding this weekend, with strong winds combining with high tides and large waves.

Torrential downpours and winds of up to 60mph lashed the region yesterday as the stormy end to 2013 continued into the New Year.

A major storm on Christmas Eve felled trees and left thousands of Hampshire homes without power, and rain and high winds have continued since then.

Yesterday AFC Totton’s home game against Burnham and Eastleigh’s Conference South league game against Dorchester were both cancelled due to waterlogged pitches.

Hampshire County Council ploughed in extra resources to deal with the bad weather, with extra teams operating throughout the county.

With ground still sodden from the past week’s downpours, some flooding occurred in areas such as Brockenhurst, Romsey and Ringwood, while almost eight miles of the A36 between Totton and Salisbury was shut due to flooding.

Raw sewage spilled out of drains in Winchester Road, Romsey, while much of the town was badly affected by flooding.

Southampton Water also experienced a 45 centimetre surge on New Year’s Day, with water levels high at Lepe, Calshot and Riverside Park, as well as dozens of locations across Hampshire.

Ferry services to and from the Isle of Wight were cancelled yesterday, with Wightlink ferries between Portsmouth and Ryde, and hovertravel services to Southsea suspended.

The Met Office has withdrawn a yellow rain warning it had put out for the region on Friday, but the south coast is set for more heavy rainfall lasting intermittently from tonight until at least Sunday.

And the Environment Agency has warned that there could be tidal flooding across the south coast between Friday and Sunday.

The agency’s head of flood incident management, Craig Woolhouse, said: “Strong winds and large waves along the west and south coasts of England are forecast between Friday and Sunday, coinciding with high tides.

“Impacts could include flooding affecting some coastal properties and communities. Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline.”

 

Forecast:

Today: Early showers will give way to some rare sunshine, although rainfall is expected to set back in at about 9pm. Temperatures will be between eight and ten degrees Celsius.

Tomorrow: The showers will return with a vengeance, with heavy and light rainfall throughout the day and temperatures of between nine and 11 degrees.

Saturday: A wet morning, with more heavy downpours, could give way to a dry but cloudy afternoon. Temperatures are set to be about eight or nine degrees.

Sunday: And, surprise surprise, there are more showers predicted, which will last through much of Sunday. Temperatures will range between eight and 11 degrees.