High water at the Old Mill at Uckfield [picture by Steve Gaston]

In East Sussex, gusts of 87mph were recorded at Fairlight, near Hastings.

Fire crews with a Land Rover had to rescue a woman and three children whose car was stuck in flood water at Lodsworth, West Sussex.

Ferry services at Dover were restricted and Kent Police implemented Operation Stack, closing the M20 coast bound.

Delayed lorries were parking between junctions 11 and 12, with all other traffic being diverted on to the A20.

Fallen trees

The Sheppey Crossing in Kent was closed, and there were no sailings from Thamesport.

Fallen trees have caused delays for drivers and train travellers.

In Surrey, a fallen tree at Lingfield caused disruption on the line between Oxted and East Grinstead

Minor delays were caused for London-bound travellers by a tree on the line at Berwick, near Polegate, East Sussex and a fallen tree closed the A259 both ways at Guestling Green.

The same road was closed in Hastings, where high winds caused the sea to breach barriers and flood the road.

The A23 was closed for an hour because of flooding between Crawley and Pease Pottage and London to Brighton trains were delayed by flooding at Balcombe.

A fireman was taken to hospital with minor injuries after part of a roof was blown off by strong winds at a block of flats on Ramsgate seafront in Kent.

The sea batters Dover Port Sea Wall [picture by Paul Rutterford]

Firefighters cordoned off the scene in Victoria Parade and used an aerial ladder platform in an attempt to secure the structure but the roof came crashing down, hitting a fire engine and parked cars.

Building control officers from Thanet Council were alerted and a Red Cross victim support unit was set up at the scene.

Flooding affected shops and offices across Kent and Sussex, including in Groombridge, Tonbridge and Great Chart, near Ashford.

The Environment Agency said flood watches were in force on rivers in Surrey, Kent and East and West Sussex.

Flood warnings are in place at Blackwater, Cadnam and Darent in Kent, Hellingly, Horsebridge, Barcombe Mills, Isfield and Buxted in East Sussex and the Western Rother in West Sussex.

"If a flood warning is issued where you live, prepare for flooding," said spokesman Howard Davidson.

"Anyone who hasn't already prepared for flooding should check where to switch off their electricity, gas and water supplies, move valuable or sentimental documents to a safe place and move cars off low-lying driveways to higher ground.

"It is also important to check on vulnerable friends and neighbours."