Storm Bert plea to motorists to only travel if necessary

Police are urging motorists to think about if their journey is necessary as Storm Bert has battered the South West. Roads have been closed, rivers burst their banks and flooded highways, and trees have been uprooted as the storm has lashed the region across two days. Weather[1] warnings for wind and rain put in place on Saturday morning are still in force.

A raft of flood warnings urging people to act now remain active. Devon and Cornwall's Road Policing Teams said: "We are dealing with multiple serious RTC's across the force area. Please slow down and drive to the conditions.

Please only travel if absolutely necessary." The Devon and Cornwall Force Incident Manager, speaking after a crash on the A38 in Cornwall which was seemingly linked to the challenging weather conditions, said: "I would urge people to please consider if they really need to make a journey. There are multiple roads closed and there is significant flooding damage in South Devon[2].

There have been significant reports of flooded roads so think about if your journey is necessary and if it is then please drive to the weather conditions."

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue[3] Service spokesperson said: " We are experiencing widespread flooding across our Service region, due to Storm Bert, and we urge drivers to consider whether travel is absolutely necessary and to check their route on the Highway's Agency website ahead of leaving. Just 30cm of flowing water can make a vehicle stuck or even sweep it away. "Helpful advice about staying safe during severe weather[4] conditions can be found on our website: Safety in severe weather conditions | Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service[5] "

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council's Cabinet member for Highways, said: "The Network Operations Control Centre have had almost 400 inbound calls today, totalling over 560 across the whole weekend. In total there have been around 230 call outs passed to Milestone our contractor since yesterday morning: see map below of call outs carried out. "Call volumes have now dropped off significantly although not altogether.

We're continuing to see light rain across the County but the forecast suggests this should largely clear away overnight, and hopefully we'll be getting back to business as usual tomorrow morning, potentially with some residual issues to clear up/repair. "By and large the main road network is flowing OK bar a couple of locations which are being dealt with. The Control Centre have also been dealing with some sensitive calls in relation to flooding to properties."

Travel Somerset said: "Our teams have been busy overnight responding to reports of more than 30 fallen trees and localised flooding. "We have gangs out today but please bear with us as we're dealing with a high volume of calls and will be prioritising main roads.

"The rain and wind is set to continue most of the day so please take care if you're travelling today and do not drive through flood water" As of 6.45pm on Sunday night: .

The M32 in Bristol is closed northbound due to flooding . The M49 Severn Bridge has restrictions in both directions

. The A30 at Liftondown in Cornwall remains closed westbound following a serious accident .

The A35 in Winterbourne Abbas in Dorset is closed due to flooding . The A38 near Newton Abbot[6] has only just reopened having been closed for most of the day due to flooding

. The A381 Totnes[7] Road in Ipplepen is closed due to flooding .

The A386 in Torrington is blocked due to fallen trees . The A40 in Gloucestershire is closed due to flooding

. The A3088 near Yeovil remains closed after a serious crash .

The A38 near Kenn has one lane closed following a serious crash . The A419 Dobbies to Mcdonald's roundabout Cirencenter is closed due to flooding

There have been large rainfall accumulations with some places having seen in excess 130 mm in the last 24 hours and wind gust of over 75 miles per hour in some exposed areas.

Andy Page is a Met Office Chief Meteorologist and said: "Impacts from Storm Bert will continue to cause disruption as we go through today, and multiple warnings are in place[8] for wind and rain." "While the risk of any snowfall has now diminished, rainfall will affect much of the UK today, in particular some southwestern parts of England and South Wales, but the heaviest rain will ease from these areas through the day. "The strong southerly winds continue today and warnings are in place[9] for central, southern and eastern England, Northern Ireland and western Scotland where gusts could peak at 60 mph and could even reach more than 70 mph along some exposed coasts.

"Warnings could still be amended, possibly at short notice, so it is important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast."

Mark Nash, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: "With Storm Bert it is important to plan ahead for your journey, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care. "A section of our website provides practical advice for travelling in storms, high winds and gales. It's also a good idea for people to remember TRIP[10] - T op-up your vehicle; R est every two hours, I nspect tyres and lights and P repare for the journey ahead."

Storm Bert will finally clear form the far northeast early on Tuesday. Next week will bring quieter weather for many, although there is a risk of some further rain and strong winds across the south of the UK on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Looking further ahead, there are indications we could see a brief return to colder conditions although for many, but it will be drier than of late.

How long the more settled conditions last is uncertain, with rain probably returning to westernmost areas at least by the end of the week, the Met Office added.

References

1. ^ Weather (www.devonlive.com)
2. ^ South Devon (www.devonlive.com)
3. ^ Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (www.devonlive.com)
4. ^ weather (www.devonlive.com)
5. ^ Safety in severe weather conditions | Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (www.dsfire.gov.uk)
6. ^ Newton Abbot (www.devonlive.com)
7. ^ Totnes (www.devonlive.com)
8. ^ multiple warnings are in place (www.metoffice.gov.uk)
9. ^ warnings are in place (www.metoffice.gov.uk)
10. ^ TRIP (eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com)