Hampshire is bracing itself for yet more flooding misery today as heavy rain continues to drench the south.

The Environment Agency last night put 13 flood warnings and 84 flood alerts in place across the south east after another night of torrential heavy rain.

And with another blanket of rain set to soak Hampshire this afternoon, residents are once again preparing for a soggy weekend.

Up to 40mm of rain came down on some parts of the county overnight on Thursday – on land already saturated following weeks of dismal weather.

That was followed by further torrential downpours throughout yesterday.

The Met Office is warning of more of the same today sparking fears of flooding along river banks and coastal areas across Hampshire.

Andrew Pearce, regional duty manager for the Environment Agency, said: “Environment Agency teams continue to work around the clock monitoring river levels, clearing watercourses, and working with communities to make them aware of their flood risk.

“We want to stress to residents that the risk of further flooding has not passed and they need to remain vigilant to the possibility of further flooding.

“We will closely monitor the way rivers respond to last night’s rainfall and will issue further warnings if necessary.”

“High groundwater levels mean there is a continued risk of flooding in many areas such as Hampshire, south Wiltshire, West Berkshire, West Sussex and Kent.”

The intensity of rainfall in December 2013 into January 2014 has led to a much more rapid rise in groundwater levels and with current high groundwater levels any further substantial rainfall is likely to lead to yet more flooding.

Residents have been urged to avoid driving or walking through flood water. Advice for those dealing with flooding is available on the Environment Agency website and from Floodline on 0845 988 1188.