A section of road north of Allonby was washed away by a tidal surge

Winds gusting up to 80mph and high tides are expected to batter the North West on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

Police are warning motorists to check conditions before setting out and have urged lorry drivers to avoid the M6 and A66 until the strong winds have passed.

An Environment Agency spokesman said the most severe weather was expected early on Wednesday.

Agency alerts

Craig Cowperthwaite said: "We're lucky on Tuesday that the winds won't pick up to gale force until later.

"Any problems are likely to come with Wednesday morning's tide. We're expecting gale force 8 and 9 for high tide at about 0200 GMT."

Flood warnings are the second highest of the agency's alerts, a step up from the less serious flood watches.

Police have asked caravan owners at parks in Walney, Ulverston, Flookburgh, Silloth and Ravenglass, to ensure their vehicles are secured.

On Monday, several of the county's roads were flooded, including a 12-metre route north of Allonby which was washed away by a tidal surge.

A66 trans-Pennine traffic was also affected due to snow and strong winds between Brough and County Durham.