Roads are starting to flood as heavy rain falls across Wiltshire this afternoon (Tuesday).
The Met Office has put a yellow weather warning in place, predicting thunderstorms across the south of England throughout the day and into Wednesday morning (9 October).
Flooding has been reported in the Swindon area, near Malmesbury and in Bath and Gloucestershire – with remote routes in the countryside likely to be worst affected as the wet weather continues.
Morrisons in Westbury is closed for “customer safety reasons” due to internal flooding.
Find a list of roads affected by flooding below:
Please refresh the page or check back later for the latest version of this list – last updated 1805 hours.
– Bradfield Cottages, between Norton and Hullavington – impassable in low vehicles
– B4039 Yatton Keynell – passable with care
– Lechlade Road in Buscot – passable with care, but water is rising
Advice from National Highways
National Highways is advising drivers in the South West to take extra care following surface water and flooding issues caused by today’s thunderstorms.
The M5 has been closed southbound between junctions 25 (Taunton) and 26 (Wellington) due to surface water, and was earlier closed southbound between junctions 14 (Thornbury, Falfield) and 15 (Almondsbury) due to flooding, while lanes 3 westbound and eastbound are also closed on a section of the M4 between Junction 17 (Chippenham) and Junction 18 (Tormarton) following an earlier incident which resulted in central barrier damage.
Diversions are currently in place for the junction 25 to 26 closure, and with Met Office warnings in place for further heavy rain showers throughout the afternoon and evening, National Highways is advising drivers to take extra care across the region’s motorways and major roads.
David Britton, National Highways’ South West Operations Manager, said: “Keeping our roads safe for drivers during difficult weather conditions is a major part of our work and our teams are dealing with a number of weather-related incidents in the region.
“In the meantime, we advise people to check on the weather conditions, plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
“If it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down. The roads will be more slippery than usual, so give yourself more time to react – increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front to at least four seconds
“Drivers should look out for standing water, slow their speed and adjust their driving before and after encountering any.”
