The Environment Agency has issued 48 flood warnings and 143 Flood watches for England and Wales today as gusts of almost 50 knots are recorded in Poole Harbour. Click here for www.pooleharbourweather.com 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency refloated the car carrierCity of Sunderland, which ran aground 8 miles off the Norfolk coast last night although the battle to save the 100m cargo shipIce Princewas lost just before 1AM this morning. Her cargo of 5,258 metric tons of sawn timber – over 2000 tons of which were being carried on the deck, may now present a danger to other vessels and an estimated 313 metric tons of intermediate fuel oil is expected to be dispersed by the considerable wave energy.

The Met Office expects further heavy and persistent rain to spread across from the west during Tuesday, with up to 25mm likely in places, accompanied by strong southerly winds with gusts to gale or severe gale force over southern and south-eastern England.