High winds and driving rain has caused extensive damage and disruption across Leicestershire over recent days.
Storm Gareth has battered the county today toppling trees, breaking off branches and leaving drivers in difficulty.
Highways engineers from Leicestershire County Council were dealing with five roads blocked by trees this afternoon.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said the conditions had been ‘wreaking havoc’ across all areas.
A fire service spokesman said there had been four weather related 999 calls yesterday and four more today.
They included trapped vehicles, loose roof tiles, flag poles and telly aerials and a damaged gable on a house.
A van and a car were damaged this morning when a tree fell in high winds in Margaret Anne Road, Oadby.
Nobody was injured but firefighters were called to deal with the incident.
County Hall’s highways spokesman councillor Blake Pain said: “Our teams have been very busy dealing with the aftermath of recent high winds and rain, clearing roads and footpaths where trees and branches have fallen.
"They are continuing to work hard to ensure that the trees are cleared away as soon as possible and disruption to the roads and footpaths is kept to a minimum.”
Despite repeated warnings a number of drivers got stuck trying to negotiate flooded roads and their vehicles had to be rescued by the emergency services.
A driver had to abandon their car yesterday after it got stuck in flood water on a notorious lane.
The motorist was led astray by his sat nav and was unable to cross the ford on Watery Gate Lane.
Crews from Hinckley and Southern fire stations and an ambulance attended the incident, at around 11.30am on Wednesday.
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Rich Botting, crew manager at Hinckley fire station, said: “It was one vehicle, following his sat nav. He looked at the water and thought he would get through it.”
He said that while the emergency services were there six other vehicles turned up as well as a motorbike, only to turn around when they saw what had happened.
The water was some three feet deep when the car got stuck.
Mr Botting said: “Anything above ankle deep you have to be cautious, but this is ridiculous.
“It’s only going to be deeper with the rain from yesterday.”
