THE south was ravaged by stormy weather last night causing flooding problems and road accidents across the region.

Thunder, lightning and pouring rain made it a very busy night for firefighters returning from the picket line, ambulance staff and police.

Hampshire Fire Brigade control room took 70 calls between 6pm and midnight, and attended 50 incidents.

In Southampton, a Ford Galaxy car crashed into a garden wall in Thornhill Avenue, Thornhill, causing a Vauxhall Cavalier just behind it to veer out of control and spin on to the pavement.

Luckily no-one was badly hurt in the incident.

Firefighters from Hightown fire station who were called to the scene at 12.02am said the Ford Galaxy steering wheel airbags had saved the driver from serious injury.

Emergency services were also called out when a Volkswagen Golf motorist lost control of his car westbound on the M27, around junction 5 near Hedge End, and crashed into the central reservation.

The driver was treated by ambulance staff at the scene for minor injuries.

In West End, residents in a cottage in Burnetts Lane were left treading in 3ft of water after nearby ditches flooded.

Firefighters spent more than three hours sandbagging around the cottage and digging holes for the water to run into.

The bad weather also set off a number of automatic fire alarms in the Eastleigh area which firefighters were called to check and today the main road between Twyford and Eastleigh was still flooded under the Allbrook railway bridge.

And in Fulflood, near Winchester, similar high rainfall caused flooding in the Andover Road area.