Amber warning issued for Storm Dennis

Parts of Devon are expected to be among the worst hit

Exeter's Met Office has issued an amber warning for heavy rain, as Storm Dennis prepares to hit the county this weekend [15-16 February].

Devon is expected to be one of the worst hit areas, with strong winds also forecast, and there are warnings in force for the entire UK. Worst affected areas will see a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.

In a statement, the Met Office warned that:

• Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
• Fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life
• Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely
• Spray and flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• A good chance some communities cut off by flooded roads
• Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely

The region is just recovering after Storm Ciara hit last weekend, bringing with it heavy rain and strong gusts.

An unsettled start to the #weekend with heavy #rain and strong winds developing...#StormDennis

Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/zzAOtGu6A0

— Met Office (@metoffice) February 14, 2020

Devon County Council is again urging people to take extra care when travelling on the county’s roads.

They say additional highways teams are on hand over the weekend to respond to any further disruption to local roads caused by fallen trees and flooding in the coming days.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The rain that’s forecast for this weekend is expected to be heavier than last weekend so we could well see more flooding problems on Devon’s roads.

"There is still a lot of water around from the amount of rainfall we’ve had in recent days so it may not take much to start causing surface water issues. Please be aware of any hazards on roads that you may not be expecting and take extra care.”

A number of flood alerts are also expected to be issued by the Environment Agency. Latest updates can be found here.