Extra staff have been on standby to deal with critical incidents during Storm Ciaran, Bracknell Forest Council has said.

Council highways staff and contractors are ready to manage road closures and clear up blockages such as fallen trees as the storm batters southern England.

Bracknell Forest Council said its main role during the storm is “warning and informing residents so they can take preventative action.” But it added it had a team on standby.

A council statement said: “The council’s role is usually limited to warning and informing residents so they can take preventative action, which we have done in the run up to this particular storm.

READ MORE: Storm Ciaran: Live updates as wet weather hits Berkshire

“For some severe weather events, we place additional highways contractors on out-of-hours standby, alongside council staff, to co-ordinate our response.

“Actions can include road closures due to fallen trees or flooding, alongside clearance of obstructions to keep our roads and pavements clear and useable.”

The council added: “This can be challenging in terms of the number of issues that need attention at the same time, the weather conditions, and the need to ensure the safety of our workforce.”

Bracknell Forest Council also reminded people that they should call 999 in an emergency. And it urged people to report road blockages such as fallen trees on its website “help us prioritise any clean-up following the storm.”