Damage incurred by weeks of heavy rain and strong winds have left the county’s Highways department and the Fire and Rescue Service busy clearing up the aftermath.

Hertfordshire has seen widespread flooding and the recent turbulent weather has had a major impact on the roads.

Terry Douris, cabinet member for Highways, said: “Firstly, may I extend my sincere sympathies to anyone affected by the recent bad weather in Hertfordshire. Highways and Fire and Rescue crews have been and continue to work hard to keep as many roads as possible open and repair the damage the storms have caused.”

He said: “Our work isn’t finished yet as there is more rain forecast. We have also seen some swallow holes appear in a few areas and we are assisting where needed in making these areas safe.”

Crews from Ringway, who deal with emergency maintenance work on Hertfordshire County Council’s behalf, have been clearing fallen trees from verges.

Councillor Douris said the work will take “time and money”.

He said: “In the meantime, repairs are being prioritised to ensure damage assessed as requiring an emergency response is fixed straight away, and that other repairs are done in the most efficient way possible.”

He added: “I’m sure there will be lessons to learn, both nationally and locally, from the impact of this exceptional weather and how authorities responded. When we finish dealing with the issues caused we will look at whether we can do better in either our immediate response, routine maintenance work or our long term investments.”

To report any highways faults online visit www.hertsdirect.org/highwayfaults