Urge to stay safe in adverse weather conditions

We are urging people across Staffordshire to travel carefully and stay safe as strong winds and rain continue across the county.

We are getting lots of reports of fallen trees and telegraph poles, particularly across south Staffordshire and Stafford, as part of Storm Isha.

Forecasts are predicting gusts of winds up to 80 miles per hour in some parts of the UK which are expected to worsen this evening and into the morning (Monday 22 January).

Drivers are being urged to only travel if absolutely necessary and take extra time for their journeys. Diversions caused by fallen debris may be affecting large road networks and walkways, so plan well in advance before setting off. If you do not think that it is safe to travel, consider delaying your journey and staying where you are until the weather conditions improve.

Make sure that your windscreen wipers, headlights and taillights are all working properly before setting off, as this will help you and other road users to see each other in poor visibility.

Drive at slower speeds to keep better control over your vehicle. You should also keep a larger gap than normal between yourself and other vehicles.

If the visibility is so poor that you cannot see where you are going, you should pull over and stop, but only when it is safe to do so.

You should also avoid driving through large bodies of water, including puddles. Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road.

More specific advice on how to stay save during the adverse conditions can be found here: Keeping calm and alert in a storm: What motorists should do when strong winds and gales strike - National Highways