TORRENTIAL rain has caused heavy traffic on the M3 Northbound between Eastleigh and Winchester.

The thunderstorm arrived this afternoon after the Met Office's yellow warning for large parts of the South.

Cars were partially submerged and the streets of Winchester ran like rivers for around an hour while the tempest lasted.

Shoppers sheltered in doorways and jumped to avoid water flows on the High Street, as the drains struggled to cope with the deluge.

The showers brought an end to the mini-heatwave that has seen temperatures  reaching nearly 30 degrees in central Hampshire.

READ MORE: Winchester weather: Two yellow thunderstorm warnings issued

The delays on Romanse (Image: Romanse)

The traffic monitoring website Romanse shows heavy delays towards Popham, just north of Micheldever, also on the M3 northbound south of Winchester, and the A34 southbound approaching junction 9.

Basingstoke also seems to have been hit by the rain, but Southampton has stayed dry so far.

It is unclear whether the delay is due to accidents.