WITH the Chronicle’s weatherman joining the Met Office in warning of the heavy rain and high winds set to buffet the area later today the Institute of Advanced Motoring is urging drivers to take car when on the roads.

Weather man Jonathan Powell warns that as the deep Atlantic low pressure system winds itself up over the next few hours it looks set to generate strong winds potentially damaging gusts of wind this afternoon and evening.

"Current estimates indicate 60mph gusts are possible, perhaps higher. This will lead to minor structural damage, branches down, and difficult driving conditions on the roads," warns Jonathan.

The Met Office has also issued an amber weather warning for heavy rain across the UK as the IAM are advises drivers on how to keep safe in the storms.

Top tips for staying safe

• Take care when setting your heater controls. Rain can cause windows to mist up in seconds – you don’t want to be fiddling with the controls when you should be concentrating on the road so familiarise yourself with the fast demist and directional controls.

• Remember, always see and be seen at all times – as rule of thumb, whenever you need to use the wipers you should also make sure your dipped headlights are switched on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.

• Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car.

• Slow down – in the rain stopping distance is at least doubled. Give yourself more space to help avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.

If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – you need to pay more attention to road surface conditions and alter your speed gently.