COMMUTERS were faced with "gridlock" and "diabolical" standstill traffic on the roads this morning.

Road closures, flooding and power cuts in Hampshire following Storm Brendan

Motorists in Southampton and Hampshire sat through delays of more than an hour during the work and school run.

It came as stormy weather made its mark on the city, resulting in fallen trees on the roads, floods and road closures.

Following an incident at Dock Gate 20, motorists came across traffic problems in Millbrook and Redbridge.

Traffic disruption in Redbridge and Millbrook after incident at Dock Gate 20

A map by travel information service Romanse shows long delays on the M271 southbound into the city, eastbound in Totton and on Redbridge Causeway, and heading west on Redbridge Road.

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One motorist said: "Sheer amount of traffic entering the port. It was closed for 12 hours yesterday so all the vehicles are going in now.

Another said "the M271 is at a standstill" while one witness said the traffic was "absolutely ridiculous this morning".

But Southampton Travel have now said Millbrook Road West and Redbridge Road traffic levels now appear to be back to usual, following the earlier queues towards the dock gate.

They said operations were suspended due to adverse weather.

But one commuter said it is currently taking them 40 minutes to get to Southampton General Hospital from Aldermoor - usually a six-minute drive - as cars queue for parking spaces.

They also said buses services to and from the hospital are facing severe disruptions.

Drivers are still facing delays in Eastleigh, due to fallen scaffolding partially blocking the road northbound at Station Hill.

This has been affecting the road since just after 10am.

One road in the New Forest was closed as a result of 28mm of rain this morning.

The closure affected drivers who had planned to travel through Ashurst Bridge, Bartley Water.

Daily Echo: Credit: @newforestwx TwitterCredit: @newforestwx Twitter

Romanse said there are delays of up to 90 minutes between Totton bypass and Southampton road in Lyndhurst.

One motorist said it took them an hour to get from West Totton to Calmore and back, which usually takes ten minutes.

Others shared their despair, saying it took them one hour from calmore to Totton at 9am, while another said they spent one and a half hours to get from Tesco in Millbrook to Totton train station.

In Ower, the A36 has been closed from A3090 West Wellow roundabout to A27 Brickworth Road after flooding blocked the road.