Commuter chaos as wind and rain batter Yorkshire - and it's set in for the day

Drivers reported chaotic conditions in the city as commuters took to their cars.

An accident blocked part of Wellington Street eastbound at the Lisbon Street junction, causing congestion on the A65 West Street to the A58 junction and on A58 Wellington Road to the Armley Road junction.

There was also heavier than usual traffic on the A643 in both directions between Elland Road and the A58 Gelderd Road junction.

Commuters were also warned of difficult driving conditions and severe gales, which could affect trains.

In South Yorkshire, Hague Lane in Wentworth was closed with slow traffic in both directions between the B6090 Main Street junction and the Wentworth Road junction, because of an accident.

A burst water main and emergency repairs on the Glebe Street southbound in Warmsworth was also causing delays.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings - which advise people to “be aware” - of wind and rain affecting southern England and Wales, with the rain warning stretching to the Midlands and Yorkshire.

Highways England has warned drivers that water deep enough to cause cars to stall could appear in the East Midlands and east of England as the band of rain moves in that direction.

The South West and Wales will see severe gales bringing gusts of up to 70mph on the coast and 50-60 mph to inland areas.

Some hill snow is also expected across England and Wales during the morning but this will ease slowly later. Scotland and Northern Ireland will be brighter but feel cold with some showers.

The rain will continue on Wednesday evening across eastern parts of Britain but the country will be drier on Thursday, with patchy light rain in England and Wales.

Rail operators warned of potential disruption to services, while Met Office forecaster Rebecca Simpson said road users should “be aware and be careful”.

She added: “There are two warnings: the wind warning and the rain warning. The wind warning is just for the south-west of England and southern Wales, coastal 70mph gusts so fairly windy.

“We are looking at quite heavy rain in the early hours and through the first part of the day. There is the chance with the heavy rain that we might see surface water flooding - if people are out driving they might want to go a bit slower.

“There is a chance of some hill snow around, possibly some sleet at lower levels but it’s not going to settle.”

South West Trains advised customers to check before travelling, as high winds of up to 60mph and gusts of 70mph are expected on its routes.

A spokesman said it would affect coastal areas, particularly Southampton, Weymouth, Salisbury and Exeter St Davids.

The spokesman added: “Trains may have to travel at lower speeds as a safety precaution which may add delays to some journeys.

“To keep you moving safely around our network, some train services may also need to be changed due to possible flooding or debris blowing onto the track.”

The weather was expected to slowly ease in the afternoon, moving east, where there will be patches of rain.

Other rail operators have not put warnings in place, with Virgin Trains, Southern Railway and Gatwick Express not expecting any disruption.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “We are closely monitoring the weather conditions and advise passengers to check before they travel.”