The Bosham and West Itchenor flood warning has ended, with no alert for the Chichester coast at Wednesday's tide. What Monday's warning covered, road by road.
The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for Bosham and West Itchenor ahead of Monday morning’s high tide. Flooding is expected for an hour either side of the 11am tide on Monday 26 October.
Updated 28 October: the Bosham and West Itchenor warning and the three alerts for Thorney to Itchenor, West Wittering to Medmerry and Selsey Bill to Elmer are no longer in force. The agency’s warning page showed no warning at 7.56am on Wednesday. Wednesday’s midday tide brought no warning or alert for the Chichester district coast. The nearest is a flood alert for Langstone to Emsworth Harbour, just over the county border in Hampshire, for the 12.21pm tide: it says the Ship Inn car park at Langstone will flood and levels will be high at South Street and Queen Street, Emsworth. The agency has not published what happened at Monday’s tides, so we cannot confirm whether Shore Road flooded as forecast.
A flood warning means flooding is expected and you should act now. It is one step up from a flood alert, which means flooding is possible. The agency issued the warning at 2.06pm on Sunday.
What the warning says will flood
The Bosham and West Itchenor flood warning covers the harbour shore including Chidham, Broadbridge and Bosham Hoe. It says:
- Shore Road will flood
- a small number of properties in Bosham High Street and Gloucester Terrace will be affected
- water will reach the top of the slipways in West Itchenor
The forecast tide is 5.42 metres above chart datum at Chichester Harbour. The weather is adding 0.48 metres to the tide table figure, with a strong southerly force 6 wind.
Tonight’s tide as well
An earlier flood alert for Thorney Island to West Itchenor, issued at 11.35am, covers Sunday night too. It says flooding is possible for an hour either side of the 10.30pm tide tonight. Shore Road will flood, and at Bosham High Street water will be near to or over front door steps.
Selsey, Sidlesham and the Witterings
Two more flood alerts cover the open coast for Monday’s 11am tide. Flooding is possible for two hours either side of it.
The Selsey Bill to Elmer alert says Mill Lane in Sidlesham will flood, making access more difficult for a while. Strong winds and large waves will throw spray over beach-top homes and nearby roads in Selsey and Pagham.
The West Wittering to Medmerry alert warns that the tide may reach the top of the beach at Bracklesham. Water could flow into the ditches behind it. Spray will reach beach-top properties at the end of West Sands Lane and at Medmerry. The agency’s advice there is plain: avoid Medmerry seafront at high tide.
| Area | Tide | What the Environment Agency expects |
|---|---|---|
| Bosham, West Itchenor | Sun 10.30pm | Flooding possible: Shore Road, Bosham High Street door steps |
| Bosham, West Itchenor | Mon 11am | Flood warning: Shore Road, High Street, Gloucester Terrace, Itchenor slipways |
| Selsey to Elmer | Mon 11am | Mill Lane, Sidlesham floods; spray on Selsey and Pagham seafront |
| West Wittering to Medmerry | Mon 11am | Tide to top of beach at Bracklesham; spray at West Sands Lane and Medmerry |
After Monday morning
The agency expects Monday night’s tide, around 11.15pm, to be about 34cm lower and to cause no flooding. Tuesday’s tides should be lower again.
It is watching Wednesday. The midday tide that day is predicted to reach 2.4 metres above ordnance datum, which the warning says may cause minor flooding of low-lying land around the harbour.
The agency will update all four messages by 6pm on Monday, or sooner if things change.
What it means for you
- Do not drive along Shore Road, Bosham around the 10.30pm tide tonight or between about 10am and noon on Monday, the window the warning gives.
- If you live on Bosham High Street or Gloucester Terrace, the agency says to put any flood protection products in place before Monday morning.
- Sidlesham: allow for Mill Lane being under water around Monday’s late morning tide.
- Stay off the seafront at Medmerry, Selsey and Bracklesham at high tide. Waves and spray in a force 7 are dangerous.
- Live updates for every area are on the government’s check for flooding service, and Floodline is on 0345 988 1188.
Travelling west on Monday? No trains run west of Chichester all half term week while the Havant signalling is replaced. Our rail closure page has the replacement buses.
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