Kent, Sussex and Surrey battered by Storm Ciarán
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Listen live to your BBC local radio station: BBC Radio Kent, BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey. Latest BBC Weather forecast
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Bob Dale, Stuart Maisner, Tom Pugh, Nick Tarver and Hamish Mureddu-Reid
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Surrey: Train lines blocked
Angus Moorat
BBC Radio Surrey
Two train lines in Surrey are blocked.
South Western Railway reports heavy rain flooding the line between Ash and Wanborough, so trains between Guildford and Aldershot are cancelled.
And a tree has fallen onto the tracks between Leatherhead and Effingham Junction. Services are being diverted via Cobham.
Ferry services badly disrupted
P&O has suspended all sailings between Dover and Calais until further notice.
The company said it will only resume services once it is safe to do so.
DFDS has also cancelled sailings between Dover and France, and some services between Newhaven and Dieppe.
Irish Ferries cancelled its scheduled 07:50 GMT departure, with earlier services delayed.
Maidstone: Floods not as bad as 2016
Andy Garland
BBC Radio Kent
In December of 2016 there was a car floating in the floods in water in this field at Teston near Maidstone, nothing like as bad today.
Guildford: Flood alert on River Wey
Adrian Harms
BBC Radio Surrey
There was persistent rain in Guildford overnight, and there’s a flood alert here on the River Wey which extends upstream towards Godalming and Tilford.
Currently the river is flowing fast but is below the banks. However, it may not be until tomorrow as the rainwater makes its way into the river catchment area, before the extent of any flooding becomes apparent.
Tourist attractions closed due to winds
A number of tourist attractions in the South East are staying shut on Thursday due to Storm Ciarán.
Worthing Pier, RHS Garden Wisley and National Trust property Scotney Castle, near Lamberhurst, have all announced they will not be opening their doors.
And Samphire Hoe in Dover is also remaining closed due to "dangerous weather conditions".
Trampoline on tracks
Network Rail have just had to remove this trampoline from the track at Hastings.
If you've a trampoline in your garden, please make sure it's secure - it's going to be very windy out there.
Audio: Eastbourne in the grip of Storm Ciarán
Hanna Neter
BBC Radio Sussex
Video content
In Pictures: Storm Ciarán in Sussex, Surrey and Kent
There have been some spectacular and soggy images of Storm Ciarán coming out of the South East.
This one shows rain-lashed Folkestone Harbour.
On the A259 at Friston, near Seaford, debris and branches lay scattered across the road.
Our BBC Weather Watchers have also been uploading images of the storm. This one from 'Motown Mark' shows water gushing down Chart Lane.
And BBC Radio Sussex reporter Hanna Neter has sent this picture of localised flooding at the bandstand on Eastbourne seafront.
Road partially blocked by fallen tree
A tree has come down in Lower Horsebridge near Hellingly, East Sussex.
Police have been called to the scene.
No rubbish collections in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove City Council says there will be no domestic or commercial rubbish and recycling collections on Thursday.
The council also said all public toilets across the city are also closed, as are all cemetaries.
Cremations at Woodvale Crematorium will still be taking place, a council spokesman said.
Sheppey Bridge closed by high winds
The bridge linking the Isle of Sheppey has been closed because of the storm.
Highways England said the A249 is shut because of the high winds.
No crossing patrols at West Sussex schools
West Sussex County Council says all of its 12 family hubs in the county are closed on Thursday.
The council said some schools may take the decision to close as a result of the severe weather.
Parents are also being warned that due to safetly concerns no school crossing patrol staff will be on duty on Thursday.
Where's the storm now?
Matt Taylor
BBC Weather
Storm Ciarán is currently centred to the south of Hampshire and Dorset, and tracking eastwards.
The swirl of cloud around the centre is clearly evident on the satellite image.
Strongest gusts so far:
Parts of north-west France have been battered by even stronger winds. A gust of 115mph was reported overnight at Ouessant.
Power outages reported in Surrey
Kerry Preston
BBC Radio Surrey
We reported earlier on a number of power outages being reported in parts of Sussex.
We're now hearing areas of Surrey have also been affected, including 30 properties in Onslow Village, Ifield, Ewhurst and Shamley Green.
Elsewhere, BBC Radio Surrey are reporting services on South Western Railway between Leatherhead and Effingham Junction are disrupted due to fallen tree on the line.
And there are reports in Haslemere of several roads being impassable because of water including in Lower Hill, Wey Hill, Weydon Road and Sturt Road.
Several schools in East Sussex closed for day
East Sussex County Council says several schools will be closed, partly-closed or have delayed starts because of the extreme weather caused by Storm Ciarán.
The schools include Robertsbridge Community College, the Eastbourne Academy, St Thomas' Church of England Primary in Winchelsea and Ropemakers Academy in Hailsham.
The full list can be found here.
Eastbourne: 'Wind has been howling'
Hanna Neter
BBC Radio Sussex
It's the strong gusts that make it trickier to walk around and throw you around a bit this morning. The bin collections here which would usually happen today were cancelled so that should have avoided too many bins across the road, although it seems some didn’t get the message and some of those bins are now on their sides along the pavement and in the road.
The rain had eased off a bit at around 5am but this last hour it’s been pouring but really it’s the sound of that wind which will have kept people awake overnight. It’s been howling.
Most primary and secondary schools here are saying they’re opening today, at the moment, but they are constantly evaluating the situation. I think we’ll get a clearer picture of that over the next few hours. With this wind it’s no surprise that ferries between Newhaven and Dieppe are cancelled and we’re being warned trains will be disrupted.
Severe disruption on railways likely
A rail company has warned of "severe disruption" to services on Thursday.
A spokesman for Southeastern said: "We strongly advise that you do not attempt to travel on mainline routes before at least 09:00 GMT."
It said tickets for Thursday could be used on Friday or passengers could apply for a refund.
Power cuts reported across South East
We're hearing there are power outages across parts of the South East, according to UK Power Networks.
In Sussex, about 600 homes are without power between Firle and East Hoathly, and about 700 properties are affected in Alfriston, Jevington and Polegate.
Meanwhile, a further 800 homes are out between Hellingly and Herstmonceux.
Where is Storm Ciarán hitting?
Here's a map showing the path of Storm Ciarán, with Kent, Sussex and Surrey bearing a heavy brunt.
An amber warning of wind has been issued for the South East from 06:00 to 17:00 on Thursday.
We'll keep you updated as the day goes on.
What has happened so far?
We’ll be bringing you all the latest developments as Storm Ciarán sweeps across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
Here’s a look at what’s happened so far:
Power cuts have hit parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey, including Firle, East Hoathly, Alfriston, Jevington and Polegate
Southern Railway, Southeastern, ThamesLink, and Gatwick Express urge people to work from home on Thursday
Some cross-Channel ferry services have been cancelled, with the Port of Dover advising only essential travel
There are flood warnings across the region, including six in Sussex - Climping Beach, the River Arun and streams around Bognor Regis
RHS Garden Wisley, Worthing Pier and Scotney Castle are among attractions closed on Thursday due to extreme weather conditions