The Highways Agency has advised road users in Cornwall to be cautious as the county is hit by strong gales and heavy rain.

There are already reports of flooding on the A30 in Chybucca at the Allet turn off, with drivers urged to take care, and the agency also 

It issued a severe weather alert for gales, warning road users that strong winds of up to 65mph, combined with heavy rain, will make driving conditions difficult along the most southern routes of the South West from 4pm until 11pm.

The agency said: "Road users driving high-sided vehicles, riding motorcycles or towing any kind of trailer are being urged to check traffic and weather conditions before setting out on journeys and to heed any advice such as speed restrictions once they are on the strategic road network.

"Met Office forecasters based in the Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre are predicting southerly winds will increase to 50mph across most of the network late this afternoon, reaching between 60 and 65 mph along the most southern routes in the South West and South East."

Yesterday the Met Office put a weather warning in place as heavy rain and gales bear down on Cornwall.

Gusts are expected to reach 50 to 60 mph, with 70 mph gusts likely in exposed coastal areas on Wednesday.

Heavy rain may also cause some localised flooding across parts of the county, and across the SW. The rain will clear and the strongest winds will ease by the early hours of Thursday morning.

The public should be aware of the potential for minor disruption.

The chief forecaster says the wild weather is due to a deep area of low pressure passing close to North West Scotland during Wednesday evening, extending bands of heavy rain and gales across many areas from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning.

Adding: "Strongest gusts are likely in coastal areas exposed to the southerly winds. Heaviest rain will be on high ground in the west, with the potential for both river and surface water flooding."

After a brief respite on Thursday, the bad weather will return on Friday afternoon as heavy rain and strong to gale force winds, is expected to cross the UK from Friday afternoon and through Saturday morning.

The Met Office says that this will "bring some locally large accumulations, particularly on hills, and following previous wet weather is likely to lead to some localised flooding".

This second bout of wild weather is due to a deep low pressure system expected to move across the Atlantic later this week, arriving into western parts of the UK on Friday afternoon.

Adding that with mild air and strong winds some large rainfall totals are possible, particularly over high ground. However there remains some uncertainty around this system and this alert is likely to be updated in the coming days.