"BAD weather and disaster" responders based in Herefordshire say they are on standby as the county is battered by Storm Dudley.

With Storm Dudley bringing rain and wind gusts of up to 50mph to Hereford, flood alerts have also been issued for the county's rivers by the Environment Agency.

The Met Office said Storm Dudley would mainly impact the northern half of the UK from Wednesday afternoon, while Storm Eunice will bring strong winds to southern and central areas on Friday.

An amber weather warning for wind, covering Herefordshire, has been issued for Friday.

But it means Herefordshire 4x4 response is on standby to help where it can.

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On its website, the group says it provides "bad weather and disaster help".

Hereford Times: Herefordshire 4x4 Response was called out several times when snow hit Herefordshire in March 2018Herefordshire 4x4 Response was called out several times when snow hit Herefordshire in March 2018

"We provide logistical four-wheel drive support in times of severe weather, disaster or when four-wheel drive is the only solution if providing transport for the emergency services, our community, other voluntary groups or charities," the group said

"Herefordshire 4x4 Response is run by a group of voluntary 4x4 vehicle owners who offer their driving skills, their vehicles and their time during activated periods of standby as determined by our local authorised agencies."

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The group cannot respond to direct calls for help from the public, so people in an emergency situation are still asked to call 999.

The group was previously on-call during Storm Dennis in February 2020, and help the ambulance service in times of heavy snow.

Three flood alerts are currently in force for Herefordshire with river levels high, with alerts issue for the Lugg south of Leominster, as well as the Arrow and Wye.