STORM Ciara is expected to batter Herefordshire with heavy rain and gales this weekend.

Flood barriers went up in Hereford today (Saturday).

Dave Throup, Environment Agency manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said the deployment was cautionary.

The high winds expected tomorrow would make putting up the barriers difficult if they were needed.

Flood alerts have, however, now been issued for the river Arrow, Frome, Lugg (north and south of Leominster), and Wye.

A flood alert is issued by the Environment Agency and means flooding is possible and people should be prepared.

The Met Office is predicting there will be disruption to public transport, damage to buildings and a "good chance" of power cuts due to the conditions.

It issued a series of severe weather alerts for the UK, including a yellow warning for rain and an amber warning for wind across Herefordshire on Sunday.

A yellow warning means there may be:

  • Flooding to homes and businesses, including damage to some buildings
  • Fast flowing or deep floodwater, causing a danger to life
  • Delays or cancellations to train and bus services 
  • Spray and flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
  • Some communities may be cut off by flooded roads

An amber warning means there may be:

  • Injuries and danger to life from flying debris
  • Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
  • Power cuts, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
  • Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible
  • Some roads and bridges may close

Storm Ciara was named by the Met Office on Wednesday and is moving eastwards towards the UK and Ireland.

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: "Storm Ciara will bring damaging winds and heavy rain across the UK this weekend and we have issued a range of severe weather warnings giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm.

"Winds will increase through Saturday across Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England and Wales, before turning very windy across the rest of UK through the early hours of Sunday morning.

"Gusts of 50-60mph are expected quite widely across inland areas, with even stronger gusts of 80mph or higher along coastal areas, especially in south-east England and northern Scotland."

RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous urged motorists to take "extreme care" on the roads, particularly on coastal or exposed routes.

"You have a recipe for some treacherous driving conditions," he said.

"We strongly recommend drivers reduce their speed and leave plenty of space between their vehicle and those around them, and be particular careful when passing high-sided vehicles when the potential for strong crosswinds could blow them off course."

Network Rail and Transport for Wales have both warned that reduced train services and speed restrictions could be in place across large parts of Britain on Sunday.

Disruption could continue into Monday morning as repair work may be hampered by the conditions.

Strong winds have the potential to damage overhead electric wires and tracks due to debris or trees falling onto the railway.

Network Rail urged people living near rail lines to tie down or clear away garden furniture and trampolines.

Passengers travelling on Sunday and Monday morning are urged to check for updates before they travel.

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