With Storm Agnes on the way, Westmorland and Furness Council have outlined their strategies in combatting the worst side effects.

On Wednesday afternoon and through the evening, the current forecast is for strong winds and rain, with wind gusts predicted to reach up to 70mph.

The council has detailed how their teams will be out in the area to negate the impacts, but that they can only do so with the help of the public.

Councillor Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Cabinet member for Highways and Assets, said: “During severe weather we would always encourage the public to take extra care when out and about and to be aware of the additional hazards that such storms can bring.

“Our highways teams work tirelessly year-round to keep the network running and autumn and winter is always a busy time."

With a significant proportion of the area being coastal and on higher ground, the possibility of impact from storms and severe weather is considerable.

The storm could not only damage property but threaten life, especially where there is potential for falling trees debris from buildings.

There will be an increase in resources out on the network for the period of the weather event, with the public asked to report any issues promptly.

"This includes reporting blocked drains," Councillor Thornton explained.

"Our teams work hard to maintain the 74,000 drains on our road network, especially as we enter the winter months, but sometimes an issue with a blocked drain only becomes apparent after a period of heavy rain."

If any blockages are spotted, which could lead to road flooding and further traffic delays, residents have been asked to report them to the council website.

Alternatively, in an emergency, people can call the highways hotline number on 0300 373 3306 or the out-of-hours emergency number on the website.

An emergency on the highway is defined as something that is very likely to present an imminent threat to life, serious injury or cause serious damage to property.

The council said that the reports will be handled based on their perceived severity.