A number of Christmas events have been cancelled due to bad weather.

The Met Office has forecast a wash out for this weekend, disrupting festive celebrations in Chichester and Littlehampton.

Residents were set to gather in Chichester city centre this Saturday, November 23, for the annual Christmas lights switch on, with live entertainment and a countdown ceremony.

However, Chichester Business Improvement District has announced that its plans have been scaled back due to “strong, gusting winds forecast”.

A spokesman for the BID said: “The Christmas lights will still be switched on this Saturday, but there will be no live entertainment during the day or a countdown ceremony.

“This decision has been made with everyone’s safety in mind.”

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A pop-up food event was also due to take place from 10am-6pm in East Street to coincide with the switch on. This has also been cancelled.

Festivities are still taking place as part of the Light Up Chichester afterparty, with a number of bars and pubs offering mulled mine, mince pies and music into the late evening.

Free parking will be available at Chichester District Council’s Avenue de Chartres car park from 4pm on Saturday.

Chichester’s Cross Market, which was due to take place on Sunday, November 24, has also been cancelled due to bad weather.

A spokesman for Chichester District Council said: “We're disappointed to announce that we have had to cancel the Cross Market and More and pop-up food events that were due to take place in Chichester this weekend because of the strong winds and heavy rain that have been forecast, including particularly high wind-gust speeds.”

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A Christmas light switch on ceremony was also scheduled in Littlehampton on Saturday, November 23.

Littlehampton Town Council has announced that the event will not take place due to bad weather, however it hopes it will be rescheduled for December 7.

The lights will be switched on tomorrow, November 22.

In Chichester, rain and wind gusts of up to 54 miles per hour are forecast on Saturday with rain easing slightly on Sunday, while wind gusts remain high.

In Littlehampton, the forecast is similar with slightly stronger wind gusts on Saturday reaching up to 59 miles per hour according to the Met Office.