HEAVY rain throughout today (Wednesday, October 16) has caused widespread disruption across Wirral.

Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Hooton and Capenhurst, the Chester and Ellesmere Port line is disrupted.

Merseyrail say disruption is expected until the end of the day. Train services to Chester have been suspended between Rock Ferry and Chester.

Replacement road transport services are conveying passengers between Rock Ferry and Chester via Hooton in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Merseyrail rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

Trains are running between Rock Ferry and Liverpool.

There is also minor disruption for West Kirby line services.

For updates go to: https://www.merseyrail.org/

According to travel monitor INRIX, the A5137 Brimstage Road in Brimstage is also blocked both ways blocked, slow traffic due to flooding and accident from M53 J4 (Bebington) to Talbot Avenue.

According to social media reports, the road is also closed outside Bidston Tip due to flooding.

The bottom of Gayton Lane in Heswall, at its junction with Dee Park Road, is also flooded. 

There is also flooding on Willaston Road between Old Wirralians Rugby Club and Willaston Village.

The Met Office extended its yellow weather warning for Wirral earlier today as heavy rain continued to cause disruption.

Experts initially issued a warning for the borough which came into place 6pm yesterday evening (Tuesday, October 15) and was expected to last until midday today (Wednesday, October 16).

However, the alert, that warns spells of heavy rain may lead to some travel disruption and flooding in places, has now been updated to last until 9pm this evening.

Forecasters say that there is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.

There is also a small chance that some communities will be temporarily cut off by flooded roads and that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services and spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Areas of heavy rain are expected to develop and push north across the warning area.

“The first area of rain will continue north this morning, then a second area pushes northeastwards this afternoon before clearing during the evening

“Many places will see around 10-20 mm of rain, but there is a chance some locations may see considerably more than this over a 6 hour period, most likely parts of southwest England and south Wales.

“A few places may see 50-80 mm of rain fall in 6 hours. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible in the south of the warning area, with lightning an additional hazard.”