DEVON is bracing itself for another weekend of stormy conditions with the arrival of Storm Dennis this weekend (tomorrow, Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16).

A Yellow Warning for strong winds and rain across the whole of Devon has been issued by the Met Office for most of Saturday and Sunday, with an Amber Warning for heavy rain in the south of the county.

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

Wind gusts of up to 70mph are forecast for coastal areas and around 50mph inland. Up to 100mm (around four inches) of rain is also possible in some parts of Devon, creating a risk of widespread flooding.

Devon County Council has been working throughout the week to deal with surface water issues caused by torrential downpours. In the early hours of Thursday morning, teams were tackling flood water on the A3052 near the Cat and Fiddle, a tree down on the A377 at Kings Nympton and flooding at Langford Bridge near Honiton.

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.”

Last weekend, Devon County Council responded to more than 60 reports of trees being uprooted and blown down during Storm Ciara.

Devon County Council is reminding people of the following advice:

• Avoid overnight travel unless absolutely essential as roads will always be more hazardous at night with poorer visibility;

• Be alert to fallen trees and branches, particularly on minor roads where they may not have been reported;

• When the wind is at its peak, consider if your journey is really necessary, and be alert to weather warnings;

• Never drive through floodwater or swollen flowing water, you don’t know how deep it is. Find an alternative route;

• Allow additional time for your journey;

• Reduce your speed and leave more space between you and the vehicle in front;

• Drive with care and according to the conditions.

For more information and travel advice from Devon County Council visit www.devon.gov.uk/winter_travel or for updates on Twitter follow @DevonAlert .

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “Storm Dennis will bring another very unsettled spell of weather this weekend with a risk of flooding, particularly in parts of England and Wales and also southern Scotland, where snowmelt will add to the flood risk.

 “Following Storm Ciara last weekend and further spells of rain this week, the ground is already saturated in places. With Storm Dennis bringing further heavy and persistent rain over the weekend, there is a risk of significant impacts from flooding, including damage to property and a danger to life from fast flowing floodwater.

“Our advice is to keep an eye on the latest weather forecast and weather warnings for your area and to follow the safety advice from officials.”

“We are advising people to sign up for flood warnings by telephone, text or email and to access the latest safety advice on gov.uk by searching ‘sign up for flood warnings’. Remember to never drive or walk through flood water, just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car – it’s not worth the risk.”

In addition to rain warnings, the Met Office have issued several wind warnings over the weekend.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, Laura Ellam, said: “It’ll be windy across the UK this weekend – on Saturday the strongest winds will be across England and Wales, and on Sunday the strongest winds will be across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and parts of northern England and north Wales, with coastal gales of 70mph at times.  Monday will be another windy day, but the heavy rain will be replaced by blustery, wintry showers.”