UK travel: M23 shut by flooding as millions begin Christmas getaway

The busiest travel day of the festive season has just got even tougher for some, with one of the South East’s key routes underwater.

Commuters, holidaymakers and those driving home for Christmas are facing the prospect of motoring misery as millions take to the roads.

But those travelling between London and Brighton have an extra hurdle to leap – an entire section of the M23 has been closed because of flooding.

Video posted on Twitter by Sussex Roads Police shows a river bursting its banks, sending a deluge of water directly on to the motorway.

And with even more rain to come, the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

A severe yellow weather warning for rain is in force for a swathe of the South over the weekend, with torrential downpours and flash floods threatening travel chaos.

Devon and Cornwall Police said flooding across both counties had made “a number of roads impassable”.

A number of other forces also said roads had been affected by surface water.

Rail passengers are being urged not to travel between Brighton and Gatwick Airport due to flooding on the tracks.

Network Rail said heavy rain has caused significant flooding on the Brighton main line, with water “completely submerging the rails in some areas”.

The Environment Agency has issued some 59 flood warnings – where flooding is expected – across England, as well as 185 flood alerts, which warn flooding is possible.

Traffic was expected to peak on Friday as workers leave their offices for the Christmas break and the final school run of the year gets under way.

The AA predicts that many drivers will be bonnet-to-boot in tailbacks and face delays on the M25, the M5 near Bristol and the M6 near Birmingham, among others.

Drivers could also be held up on the M1, the M62 and M60.

Northern Ireland could face the biggest delays, with an estimated 65% of people there taking to the roads on Friday.

It’s thought the number travelling since yesterday and through today will total around 17 million, ahead of the traditional last-minute shopping rush on Saturday, with 31 million trips taken by Christmas Day.

The AA says that with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, it could mean journeys are spread out more over the next few days.

The railways are also facing pressure over the next few days, particularly in London and the South East, where workers on South Western Railway are still taking industrial action.

Network Rail are also carrying out more than 380 engineering projects over the Christmas period, particularly in the capital, with Kings Cross, Paddington and Liverpool Street likely to be worst affected.

In the skies, easyJet has said that Friday will be its busiest festive flying day, with more than 146,000 people travelling.

(c) Sky News 2019: UK travel: M23 shut by flooding as millions begin Christmas getaway