HEAVY rains and winds caused chaos overnight in the Cotswolds as a pre-Christmas storm battered much of the country.

Forecasters are predicting rain will ease until Boxing Day, however following a full 24 hours of extremely wet and windy weather, motorists are being asked to avoid driving through floodwater.

The A429 Fosse Way is currently closed due to flooding around Queens Street between Tredington and the Fosse Way, near Shipston, and the B4632 in Winchcombe is partially blocked due to fallen tree between B4078 North Street and Cheltenham Road / Station Road.

Mill Street is closed due to flooding between A3400 Mill Street and Castle Hill in Shipston after the River Stour burst its banks.

A fallen tree between Station Road / High Street in Bourton and Gorse Close (Little Rissington) has blocked Rissington Road both ways.

The council’s highways gangs have been taken off normal duties and are ready to respond to any emergency calls. They have been busy throughout the day and night clearing gullies and road debris around the county.

Isolated showers are expected today and Christmas Day, but more heavy rain and strong winds are anticipated for later in the week.

Chief Fire Officer, Jon Hall said: “We can’t stress enough how important it is to avoid floodwater wherever it occurs across the county.

"There is no way of knowing how deep the flooding is or what lies beneath, so the only advice is to avoid these routes.

“Last night alone, more than 70 calls were received by Gloucestershire fire service, the majority of which were a direct result of the weather conditions. 

"Our teams will continue to respond to any emergency calls and protect properties when possible.”

Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet members for highways, said: “Since the flooding in 2007, a lot of work has been done to improve our drainage systems.

"However we still encourage people to think about their journeys before they set off and always avoid driving through floodwater.”

Follow @GlosHighways and @GlosCC on Twitter for updates.

Got any pictures? Email them to fl@cotswoldjournal.co.uk.

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