FIREFIGHTERS have urged motorists to take care when driving on flooded roads as two weather warnings were issued for this week.

Met Office forecasters have predicted heavy rain on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday looks to be particularly miserable, with both persistent rain and heavy showers forecast.

On Friday, the fire service received a number of calls from people who drove into floodwater in the west of Dorset and then got trapped. Two rescues were carried out.

Area manager Kathy Collis said: “Very often, surface water doesn’t appear very deep but there can be unseen dips in the road which then catch drivers unaware.

"There is also a risk of drivers in larger vehicles driving through water without dropping their speed, which then creates a ‘bow wave’ effect – and this can cause significant risks for other vehicles. "While this wet weather continues, please drive to the conditions and be particularly cautious at fords, where water levels can rise a lot in a short space of time.”