Storm Ciaran has kept Devon Highways teams busy overnight and throughout this morning.
Strong winds and persistent rain led to more than 80 reported incidents of fallen trees, flooded roads and landslips on local roads.
Extra staff were drafted in to Devon’s Network Operations Control Centre to co-ordinate the response, with more than 30 teams of tree surgeons and 12 emergency call-out teams available to help where needed.
The first incidents were reported overnight, with a number of roads temporarily blocked by fallen trees before they were cleared.
Road users are being urged to take extra care from tonight (Wednesday) through to Thursday afternoon after the Met Office issued an Amber ‘risk to life’ warning, forecasting high winds and rain across the county.
Storm Ciaran is landing in Devon with strong winds expected from this evening and peaking between 3am Thursday morning and at least lunchtime that day, with the clean up likley to last for some time after that.
Rain of up to 40mm, (80mm on Dartmoor) on already sodden ground, is expected across Devon, while winds of between 60 and 75 mph predicted.
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.
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