Motorists warned: Get ready for Storm Barbara

MOTORISTS in the Warrington area have been warned to be prepared for Storm Barbara.
The storm – the second to hit Britain this winter – is heading our way, threatening to bring major disruption over the Christmas period with winds of up to 90mph in some areas.
Warrington will escape the worst of the weather – but can still expect plenty of wind and rain.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning of wind for the whole of Cheshire, valid from 7am tomorrow (Friday) until midnight.
Experts have warned that the wild weather, which also includes torrential rain, could in some areas, destroy trees, homes and power lines and herald travel chaos.
A Met Office spokesman said: “A spell of very strong south to south-westerly winds is expected to develop on Friday with gusts of 60 to 70mph.
“Winds will then moderate on Saturday morning.”
Highways England is warning drivers to be aware of the possibility of strong winds – and to allow for the conditions.
Rain, in particular, can create dangerous driving conditions.
Road users are 30 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured when driving in rain than in show.
Driving too fast for the conditions has been identified as a factor in one in nine road deaths, with drivers failing to alter how they drive in response to changed road conditions.
Even driving within the speed limit in wet weather can be dangerous if drivers don’t allow extra space between them and the vehicle in front.
Highways England’s head of road safety, Richard Leonard, said: “Most of us already slow down in snow, ice or fog but when it rains we consider it normal so don’t adapt our driving.
“The sad fact is that 2,918 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads when it was raining last year, and not slowing down to suit the current conditions was identified as a factor in 1 in 9 of all road deaths.
“Rain makes it harder for tyres to grip the road and harder for drivers to see ahead – significantly increasing the chances of being involved in a collision. We’ve launched our new campaign to make drivers aware of the dangers and to stay safe.
It generally takes at least twice as long to stop on a wet road as on a dry road because tyres have less grip on the surface.”