Storms cause problems for drivers MOTORISTS faced treacherous driving conditions on Tuesday night as thunderstorms lashed the county, causing localised flooding and triggering a mini- landslide near Cedar Falls Health Farm. Police called in an emergency highways team from Somerset County Council to clear temporarily the A358 between Williton and Bishops Lydeard near Eastcombe after the road was swamped by at least two feet of mud. Highways staff used a digger to clear the road at around 8pm and put warning signs up urging drivers to take extra care. A team returned on Wednesday morning to continue clearing mud away from the scene and pledged to make a return visit to monitor the situation later in the week. A county council spokesman said the deluge had just been too much for the surrounding land and river to cope with, while storm drains in Norton Fitzwarren overflowed causing localised flooding around the village's caravan park. The situation in Norton Fitzwarren was made worse by cars and lorries driving through the flood water, which in turn caused waves to swamp local homes.

School forced to close LAST Friday's thunderstorms also took their toll on the area, with All Saints First School, in Dulverton, being forced to close its doors due to a leaky roof. Headteacher Charles Pope said damage had been kept to a minimum as builders quickly moved in to repair the roof. However, it was deemed to be too dangerous for pupils and staff to remain in the school until the work had been carried out as water was seeping through the roof and coming through the light fittings.