Norfolk is bracing itself for more wind and some heavy rain this week as the county was battered over the weekend.Chris Bell, forecaster at UEA based Weatherquest, said while the east will fare better than other regions the outlook was wet and windy.

Norfolk is bracing itself for more wind and some heavy rain this week as the county was battered over the weekend.

Chris Bell, forecaster at UEA based Weatherquest, said while the east will fare better than other regions the outlook was wet and windy.

He said: “The coastal areas will have winds in excess of 50 or 60 miles per hour and the rest of the county could see gusts up to 40 or 50 miles per hour.”

He said that although winds on Thursday night seemed strong they actually only peaked at around 30mph.

He said that while the current weather conditions were not unusual for November they had come as a bit of a shock after the near-drought conditions of September and October.

“Most people thought that the nice spell of weather was great but half our customers are farmers and they were complaining every day,” he said. “I spoke to one farmer the other day who said that the ground is still very dry just eight inches under the topsoil so he was very happy that we are now getting some decent amounts of rain.”

The Institute of Advanced Motorists last night issued some driving guidelines for motorists to help them cope with the adverse weather conditions.

In heavy rain watch for the shiny patches that are lying water, give yourself a longer gap to other traffic, and be ready to slow down when you need to. Keep the de-mister working and don't soak pedestrians or cyclists by running through puddles.

When driving through floods lower your speed right down and choose the shallowest route available, use the middle of the road if that's where it is and you can. Use a low gear to keep revs high and control speed by slipping the clutch (beware that water could enter the exhaust, so keep the revs up). Make sure you can see the way out before you enter water, and if it is too deep or too fast moving, don't risk it.

In high winds slow down - you are more vulnerable to side winds at higher speeds. Give yourself more space, with plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front, take particular care when passing large vehicles and motorcycles, and be ready for side winds at gaps in buildings or as you come out of a cutting. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable to side winds.