Devon County Council is accelerating preparations for Storm Ciaran - which will hit the county later this week.

The storm is expected to arrive on Wednesday night and last into the early hours of Thursday - and might mean flooding, wind damage, and debris on roads.

The worst of the storm is expected to move along the English Channel, but the Met Office is predicting heavy rain and strong winds, meaning Storm Ciaran's impact is likely to be felt across Devon.

As trees are still in full leaf, and the ground already saturated from recent downpours, Devon County Council says that there's a high chance that there’ll be a lot of debris on the roads and a risk of highway flooding.

The council says that it's putting on extra resources to help deal with the situation.

They'll have additional staff working and monitoring the highway from their Control Centre in Exeter.  Additional crews will be on standby, including tree surgeons and gully suckers/jetters, to keep drains and gullies as clear as possible.

Staff are also working to ensure that highways are as prepared as possible for the storm, including encouraging contractors to secure locations, such as roadworks and scaffolding.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for highway management, said:

"The unsettled weather is due to continue, with Storm Ciaran bringing another bout of heavy rain and strong winds across Devon this Wednesday and Thursday.

"As ever, we'd ask road users to use their judgement about whether it's sensible to venture out and to do so with the utmost care if they do.

"With a lot of trees still in leaf, we're expecting that the high winds and heavy rain will bring down a lot of debris onto the highway, and making the risk of surface flooding in some areas more likely.

"We advise highway users to keep an eye on the Met Office’s latest updates, whilst also following Devon Highways updates via @devonalert.”

The Met Office is warning that the storm might also lead to power cuts, and bring potential hazards to the public on beaches, piers, and promenades.