DRIVERS have been warned to expect gales and heavy rain tomorrow on many major routes as Storm Doris hits the UK.

An amber alert - meaning people should be prepared - will be in place across the North, Midlands and East between 6am and 6pm in response to the strong winds and heavy rain forecast.

Gusts of up to 70 miles per hour are expected on some roads, along with heavy rain and surface water.

There is a particularly high risk to high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes on exposed sections of the network, which include the M62 between Huddersfield and Brighouse.

Richard Leonard, Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, said: “We’re expecting Storm Doris to have a significant impact on the roads throughout the day tomorrow so are urging drivers to consider changing their plans if necessary and to slow down in stormy weather.

“Drivers should look out for warnings on the electronic message signs and listen for updates in radio travel bulletins. Our traffic officers will also be ready to respond to any incidents during Storm Doris, and we’re urging drivers to respond to the changing conditions on the road to stay safe.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

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. In wet weather you should:

• Slow down if the rain and spray from vehicles is making it difficult to see and be seen;

• Keep well back from the vehicle in front as this will increase your ability to see and plan ahead;

• Ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually if the steering becomes unresponsive as it probably means that water is preventing the tyres from gripping the road.

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the network which delivers electricity across the region, is assuring its customers that it is prepared should the forecasted snow and strong winds affect its network.

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s head of network operations, said: “We’re monitoring the weather very closely and are already taking action to ensure that we have extra engineers ready to restore power and repair any damage to our network caused by Storm Doris.

"We will have additional advisors at our local 24-hour contact centre – who can be reached by calling the new, free 105 power cut number - as well as teams in other locations around our business who will be ready to offer our customers support and advice.  We have also postponed any routine planned work.

“Our website, northernpowergrid.com, has an easy-to-use power cut map and reporting service which our customers can use to report a power cut and get updates about what we’re doing to get their lights back on. We’re also urging our customers to take a few minutes to add 105 and bookmark our website on their mobile phones so they are ready to use our services if they need to. 

"They may also want to watch our short and informative videos, which will help them know exactly what to do if they do have a power cut.”

Northern Powergrid’s 24/7 Twitter (@northpowergrid) and Facebook pages will also provide regular updates and advice to customers and local communities.

The company  is urging anyone who spots any damaged cables or other equipment not to approach the area, but to report it immediately by calling 105 the new, free, easy-to-remember national phone line which will route people to Northern Powergrid. The electricity distributor can also be contacted on 0800 66 88 77 in the North East and 0800 375 675 in Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds from 5am to 8pm tomorrow in West Yorkshire.

SEE THE LATEST WEATHER UPDATES