HOMEOWNERS have been warned to prepare for possible powercuts and flooding as Storm Dennis hits the North West this weekend.

This weather front is to batter the region in just a week after Storm Ciara caused widespread disruption across the country last weekend.

Forecasters have warned of gusts of up to 65mph, which could cause damage to overhead power lines as debris and trees affect the network, along with heavy showers.

Electricity North West, the company which runs the area's electrical network, says it has already begun to prepare for issues and has brought in extra engineers after 27,000 homes lost power last week.

Sam Loukes, Incident Manager at Electricity North West, said: “Our preparations for Storm Dennis are well underway, already, we have a number of engineers on standby and we are continuing to monitor the weather daily.

“During Storm Ciara 750,000 properties across the UK lost power, with just 27,000 of those in the North West, so the network stood up relatively well and our preparations mean that we expect it to again.

“We invest millions of pounds throughout the year reinforcing and protecting the network and when the weather does hit, we want to make sure our response is as quick as possible.

“As always, if anybody does see any damage to the electricity network, we urge them to stay away and report it to us immediately by calling 105.”

For advice on what to do if there is a powercut at your home, visit: www.enwl.co.uk/power-cuts/helpful-tips .