Schools across Southampton will be closed today as the city braces itself for the chaos expected to be inflicted by Storm Ciaran.
People are being urged to take extra care amid fears the storm - the worst of the year so far - could pose a danger to life.
A major incident has been declared after warnings that the south coast is set to be battered by winds of more than 80mph.
READ MORE: Storm Ciaran: Southampton and Hampshire school closures - live updates
Yesterday, Southampton City Council advised all schools in Southampton to shut today as the Met Office put a rare amber weather warning in place.
At least 48 schools in the city are shut and school crossing patrols are suspended.
Today is likely to see damage to buildings, widespread travel disruption caused by accidents and fallen trees, and significant flooding. Other issues could include power cuts and flying debris.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum declared that its response would be escalated to "major incident" status from midnight last night.
It added: "All partner agencies are planning ahead with arrangements to respond to weather-related emergencies during this period.
"Those who live or work in what are likely to be the worst affected areas (as determined by the amber weather warning issued by the Met Office) are advised to travel with care.
"People are urged to avoid, as far as possible, coastal and wooded areas whilst winds are high."
South Western Railway (SWR) has warned the severe weather will result in reduced services and longer journey times caused by trains having to cut their speed.
London Waterloo-Weymouth trains will start and finish at Bournemouth, with an hourly rail shuttle service between Bournemouth and Weymouth.
Services from Portsmouth to London Waterloo via Basingstoke will be altered after Basingstoke, calling at Woking only, with services in the opposite direction running as normal. No trains will run on the Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier line.
READ MORE: Storm Ciarán: Yellow weather warnings for Southampton
A SWR spokesperson said: "We have been preparing for this storm with our colleagues at Network Rail.
"In the event of disruption, we won’t be able to run rail replacement bus services, so it’s really important that customers check their whole journey before setting off, if they do intend to travel."
Flights have been cancelled at Southampton Airport and the storm is also set to cause problems on the roads.
The Itchen Bridge - one of the main routes in and out of Southampton - was closed at 7pm yesterday and will stay shut until the weather improves.
National Highways has issued a severe weather alert for gales, citing a particular risk to vehicles in the south west and south east regions, plus southern coastal areas.
A spokesperson said: "National Highways is advising motorists – particularly those driving high-sided HGVs, motor homes and motorcycles, and those towing caravans and trailers – to check the weather and driving conditions before setting out.
"They should pay particular attention to exposed locations such as coastal and high lying areas and bridges which could be affected by the high winds."
The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning and several flood alerts for Southampton and other parts of the Solent area.
They apply to communities near rivers and coastal waters.
The areas at risk are Beaulieu and the Beaulieu River, Mansbridge and Riverside Park in Southampton, Southampton Water, Hamble, and the River Alver at Gosport, plus coastal areas between Gosport and Hill Head, Fareham and Portchester, and Milford and Lymington.
They added: " We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm (1ft) of flowing water is enough to move your car."
Southampton Family Fireworks Display is due to be staged at Mayflower Park on Saturday, despite the bad weather forecast for the rest of the week.
"The organisers have reduced the number of tickets available so there’s more hard standing space for spectators, and adequate lighting will be provided to improve visibility.
"There will be comms going out to remind those attending to dress appropriately for the conditions."
The gates are due to open at 4pm, with the fireworks starting at 7pm. Live music hosted by Zoe Hanson will take place between 5pm and 10pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel