Heavy rain and strong wind warning for New Forest and Christchurch

HEAVY rain and winds up to 70mph are set to hit the New Forest and Christchurch tomorrow (Thursday).

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for the "brief spell of heavy rain and strong, gusty winds" which covers a large swathe of the south, including the local area.

The national weather agency is warning the flooding of homes and businesses is possible, with delays likely to road, rail, air and ferry transport.

A Met Office spokesman said: "A narrow band of rain, heavy at times and perhaps briefly intense, will move eastwards late on Thursday morning and into the afternoon.

"Ten to 15mm is likely to fall in a one to two-hour period, with around 20mm in a few places.

"With saturated ground, this is likely to lead to a fair amount of surface water on roads and flooding in one or two places.

"Strong winds will be an additional hazard with gusts of 40-50mph inland and perhaps briefly 60-70mph along some exposed coasts."

The warning is in place from 10am to 7pm