CUMBRIA is bracing itself for disruption to travel over the weekend as Storm Bert hits the county.

Forecasters said Storm Bert will reach the Cumbria and the rest of the UK on Saturday bringing heavy rain and snow, together with strong winds, to large swathes of the country.

The Met Office has a number of weather warnings in place for Cumbria over the weekend with a yellow warning for rain snow in place from 4am on Saturday until 9am on Sunday, as well as a yellow weather warning for wind from 5am on Saturday until 9pm the same day.

Ahead of the storm, wintry showers will continue to impact parts of the UK on Thursday and Friday, particularly in exposed areas in the north.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said: "Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend, but heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and warnings are in place.

"Heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK, will also bring impacts for some with a number of warnings in place.

"We expect 50-75mm of rainfall quite widely within the warning areas, but in excess of 100mm is possible over high ground in parts of Wales and south-west England.

"In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend and periods of strong winds are likely to exacerbate impacts and bring the potential for travel disruption, as well as flooding for some."

Electricity North West engineers are on standby and has plans in place to monitor and respond to any network damage caused by the storm.

Alan Astall, head of network control for Electricity North West, said: “We have well-rehearsed plans in place to minimise any impacts for residents and businesses. Strong winds can blow debris into overhead lines causing power cuts, while snow and heavy rain can cause access issues for our teams.

“Our main priority is safety so if you do notice any damage to the network, for example damaged overhead lines or electricity poles, contact us immediately by calling 105.

“And if you or someone you know would be adversely affected by a power cut, you can join our free Extra Care Register for a bit of additional help and support."

Storm Bert is the second named storm of winter after Storm Ashley caused multiple power cuts in October where engineers responded quickly to restore power to more than 20,000 properties.

Alan added: “We actively manage the power network 24/7, 365 days a year but when bad weather is forecast we step up the number of teams we have on standby so we can respond quickly.

“We prepare throughout the year with our teams of tree cutters cutting back trees from overhead lines, and our engineering teams installing new equipment to identify network issues and restore power faster to reduce the impact on customers."

You can view live power cut information in the region at www.enwl.co.uk/powercuts, get in touch on X or Facebook, or by calling 105 for free from any phone.