Storm Barra: When should I call 999 during extreme weather?

Storm Barra is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain just two weeks after Storm Arwen was battering the UK.

More yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office and there are some new warnings from the emergency services to go with them.

Ahead of Storm Barra this week, people in Derbyshire are being asked to think before calling 999.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to only call 999 in an emergency, saying that when Storm Arwen hit the country the number of calls doubled in a matter of minutes, even though many of them relate to non-emergency situations.

The service has warned this results in fire control room operators being tied up and unable to deal with real emergencies.

Joint Fire Control Station Manager, Carly Pointon said: "During Storm Arwen, the number of emergency 999 calls doubled from around 100 per day to more than 200."

The calls were "asking for assistance at all types of incidents from fallen trees, unsafe structures and flooding", she said.

"But many of these calls were either not an emergency, or the responsibility of another agency," Ms Pointer added.

When should I call 999?

• If there's a fallen tree on a road and it's endangering life - 999, Fire and Rescue Service

• If there's a fallen tree on your own property and it's endangering life - 999, Fire and Rescue Service

• If there's an unsafe structure overhanging a public highway - 999, Fire and Rescue Service

• If there's an unsafe structure overhanging your own property and it's endangering life - 999, Fire and Rescue Service

• Flooding with risk to life - 999, Fire and Rescue Service

• Flooding affecting electrics - If it's safe to do so isolate the electrics. If in doubt call 999, Fire and Rescue Service.

When should I avoid calling 999 and who else can I call?

• If there's a fallen tree on a road and it's not endangering life - Call the Local Authority

• If there's a fallen tree on your own property and it's not endangering life - This is personal responsibility and you'll need to enlist the help of someone.

• If there's an unsafe structure on your own property and it's not endangering life - Again, this is personal responsibility.

• General flooding - Wait for the water to subside and then call Fire and Rescue Service. There isn't much the fire service can do while water is entering a property as there's nowhere to pump it.

Manager Pointon added: "In any emergency situation we would always advise you ring 999 immediately.

"Control room operators will assess the situation and ensure an appropriate emergency response is put into action, but when it's a fallen tree on a road, that is not endangering life, then this is the responsibility of the local authority, and the fire service wouldn't attend."

She also said her team receive numerous calls about flooding but in many cases there isn't much the fire service can do while water is flooding into a property as there's nowhere to pump the water.

"Unless there is a threat to life, then people will need to be patient and wait for the water to subside itself. If electrics have been affected then the advice is to isolate the electrics and contact an electrician."