Devon County Council gears up for Storm Ciaran

The Met Office is predicting heavy rain and strong winds as Storm Ciaran approaches. With trees still in full leaf, and the ground already saturated, there's high chance that there’ll be a lot of debris on the roads and a risk of highway flooding.

Devon County Council is gearing up for Storm Ciaran, which is forecast to reach the UK this Wednesday night into Thursday.

The worst of the storm is expected to track the English Channel, but with the Met Office predicting heavy rain and strong winds, Storm Ciaran's impact is likely to be felt across Devon and Cornwall.

And with trees still in full leaf, and the ground already saturated, Devon County Council says that there's high chance that there’ll be a lot of debris on the roads and a risk of highway flooding.

The council says that it's putting on extra resources to help deal with the situation.

They'll have additional staff working and monitoring the highway from their Control Centre in Exeter.  Additional gangs will be on standby, including tree surgeons and gully suckers/jetters, to keep drains and gullies as clear as possible.

They are also working with partners to ensure that the highway is as prepared as possible for the storm, including encouraging contractors to secure locations, such as roadworks and scaffolding.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for highway management, said:

"The unsettled weather is due to continue, with Storm Ciaran bringing another bout of heavy rain and strong winds across Devon this Wednesday and Thursday.

"As ever, we'd ask road users to use their judgement about whether it's sensible to venture out, and to do so with the utmost care if they do.

"With a lot of trees still in leaf, we're expecting that the high winds and heavy rain will bring down a lot of debris onto the highway, and making the risk of surface flooding in some areas more likely.

"We advise highway users to keep an eye on the Met Office’s latest updates, whilst also following Devon Highways updates via @devonalert.”

The Met Office warns that the storm might also lead to power cuts, and of potential hazard to the public on beaches, piers, and promenades.