Drivers are being urged to take extra care on motorways and major A roads overnight and tomorrow as Storm Aileen hits Britain.

The Met Office has forecast strong winds and heavy rain in parts of the country from 9pm today until 9am tomorrow, prompting Highways England to issue an amber ‘be aware’ alert.

According to the weather service, westerly winds are expected to increase during the evening into the early hours tomorrow, with gusts in excess of 60 miles-per-hour possible on exposed roads overnight.

Drivers of lorries, caravans and motorbikes are being advised to avoid 53 exposed sections of the road network, including the Humber Bridge, Thelwall Viaduct and Woodhead Pass in the north.

Richard Leonard, head of road user safety at Highways England, said: “We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys, with strong winds and heavy rain expected from Tuesday evening until Wednesday morning.

“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible.”

For a full list of roads to avoid, go to http://ow.ly/d/6L54.