19 October 202
Following Met Office weather warnings across the UK today, the AA is issuing travel advice for drivers.
Storm Babet will bring high winds and heavy rain, so drivers should be alert to debris on the roads across the UK. Scotland looks to be particularly badly affected, with Red weather warnings for some areas north of the border.
Regions and local authorities affected
Central, Tayside & Fife- Angus
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Lincolnshire
- Essex
- Norfolk
- Southend-on-Sea
- Suffolk
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Kingston upon Hull
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Nick Powell, AA patrol of the year, says: “Storm Babet could bring disruption across much of the UK with strong winds and rain today (Thursday) through to Saturday, so it’s very likely trees and debris will be littering the roads. Drivers should be very cautious, especially in rural or woody areas. If you see twigs or small branches on the road it could be a sign that a tree has fallen just around the bend, so pay extra attention to the path up ahead.
“As always in wet and windy weather, leave plenty of space behind other vehicles and adjust your speed to suit the conditions, especially when crossing bridges or passing high-sided vehicles.
“There may be traffic delays so make sure you bring essentials with you on your journey, even if it is only short, such as warm layers, a hot drink and a fully charged mobile phone.
“Drivers can use the AA Route Planner app to check for traffic updates and if they need to report an obstruction, such as a fallen tree, they can use the free what3words app to describe its exact location.”
Further AA advice on winter driving is available here and a winter travel checklist can be found here
Live traffic updates are available at https://www.theaa.com/route-planner/traffic-news