Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is encouraging residents to follow its safety advice following the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for Wind.
Storm Darragh is causing strong winds to go across the county, with the gusts forecast to reach around 40-50mph.
The weather warning is in place from today (Thursday, 5 December) until 6am on Sunday, 8 December, and RBFRS is sharing the following advice:
- To report fallen trees on local roads, please contact your local council’s emergency out of hours number, which can be found through this website: https://www.gov.uk/report-obstruction-road. For main roads, please contact National Highways on 0300 123 5000. If there is a risk to life, call 999.
- When driving, be aware that high winds can affect the handling of your vehicle and sudden gusts can happen without warning – keep a good grip on the steering wheel and avoid overtaking high-sided vehicles;
- Remember to give vulnerable road users including cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians more room than usual – they are more likely to be blown around by side winds, so keep your speed down and always keep a safe distance;
- Driving in adverse weather conditions can be stressful and tiring – if you feel tired, take a break;
- Check for loose items outside your home and secure them in high winds – e.g. bins, plant pots, trampolines, garden furniture;
- Weather warnings may change quickly, so stay up-to-date with the weather in your area.
While a weather warning for rain has not been issued, some parts of Berkshire may experience heavy rain alongside the strong winds. Please see our Wet Weather Advice webpage for more information.