STRONG winds and heavy rain have battered Mid Devon all this week, causing travel disruption and flood warnings . . . and there’s more atrocious weather to come.

Residents in Cullompton were warned to expect their homes to flood on Wednesday, and flooding on parts of the A396 made the road near Bampton almost impassable.

The Met Office has issued a warning for further heavy and persistent rain in the South West this weekend – 20mm to 40 mm of rain will fall daily today (Friday) and tomorrow.

Trains between Taunton and Penzance have been cancelled due to line damage at Dawlish, and a flood warning has been issued for the lower River Culm.

Flood alerts are in place on the Rivers Exe, Haddeo, Lowman and Batherm.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, county council cabinet member for high-ways management and flood prevention, said: “These are some of the most horrendous conditions I can remember.

“The combination of heavy rain and strong winds is causing disruption across the county.

“The problems with the railway line at Dawlish have again shown how vulnerable transport links are in Devon.

“A number of roads have been closed due to fallen trees and power cables, and the weather’s sure to have a severe impact on our already fragile network.

“People should be prepared for the risk of further disruption, and motorists are advised to stick to main roads, not to drive through floodwater and not to drive through road closures.”