MOTORISTS in Gloucestershire are being urged to stay safe with the prospect of more bad weather later this week.

Forecasters are predicting rain will ease until Boxing Day, but Gloucestershire County Council is advising drivers to be careful and not drive through floodwater.

The council’s highways gangs have been taken off normal duties to respond to emergency calls and have been working through the night to clear 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.

All roads are currently passable with care, but drivers can expect standing water over the festive period.

Gloucestershire’s 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.”

Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet member for highways Coun Vernon Smith said the conditions were likely to cause disruption on the roads.

“I would encourage people to remain calm and to take extra care if they are out driving, particularly on higher speed rural roads,” he 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.”

For live updates follow @GlosHighways and @GlosCC on Twitter.