Adverse weather conditions across the Isle of Wight are causing hazardous driving conditions this morning (Sunday), with some cross-Solent disruption also being experienced.
Torrential downpours overnight and into this morning have led to roads becoming flooded, particularly prone locations such as Rowborough Lane between Ryde and Brading (pictured) and Binstead Road in Ryde.
Hovertravel has been forced to cancel its Ryde-Southsea service due to the strong winds. An update is expected at 10:00 but it remains to be seen if services will resume this morning.
Red Funnel’s Red Jet service between West Cowes and Southampton has also been suspended until further notice.
Meanwhile, Wightlink is advising of 90 minute delays on its Fishbourne-Portsmouth car ferry service.
The wet and windy weather is expected to continue throughout this morning but will ease and we head into the afternoon. The worst of the weather should clear by 15:00 – just in time for trick or treaters to head out for Halloween.
A yellow weather warning from IW Met Service is in force from 06:00 to 14:00, as previously reported by Island Echo. Many places will see 10-20mm of rainfall, with some areas seeing up to 30mm in just an hour or 2. The heaviest spells of rain are likely to be accompanied by some very strong wind gusts of up to 60-70mph.
UPDATE @ 09:48 – Hovertravel services remain suspended with the next update expected at 12:00, indicating services won’t resume until this afternoon.
Wightlink’s Fishbourne-Portsmouth service now has delays of 45 minutes, reduced from the earlier 90-minute delay.
UPDATE – Red Jet services have now resumed, but Hovertravel’s Ryde-Southsea service remains suspended this afternoon.
More raw sewage will be dumped in our seas then, as the water companies exploit the loophole of ‘adverse weather conditions’ to enable them to bypass treatment. Here’s a thought – why don’t the water companies improve their systems so that they can cope?
Oh wait, that would mean investment and thereby reduce their profits!
If the road drains were kept free & regularly cleaned most of the flooding would not happen.
In honestly when was last time you saw a drain cleaner in action?
To be honest all you see is the hedges and grass verges cut ,then you see chap with a blower forcing all the grass and leaves towards the drains ,very clever
All our council tax now goes on keeping the wasters in society, whoes funding is ‘ring fenced’ not so the basics in life for the majority of us who pay in, not whinge and only take out of the pot.
Every drain I walked past earlier down one street was blocked with leaves and debris and the water was bypassing them.. Great job.
Maybe its about time the community did more for the island like getting a broom and sweeping away the debris blocking the drains instead of huffing and puffing saying ‘that’s what we pay our council tax for’. But that would be too difficult for the usual crypt sleeper commenters on here.
Unfortunately, these days anyone doing this would render themselves liable for anything that went wrong, and would find themselves fined or imprisoned. That’s the way the world is today, mores the pity.