Technology that will enable Sid Valley residents to prepare for flash-flooding and sub-zero temperatures has been installed.

The weather station will transmit data wirelessly to the council’s website and feed data about temperature, press wind strength and rainfall to the Met Office and Devon County Council (DCC), writes Clarissa Place.

Sidmouth Town Council received £1,500 from county councillor Stuart Hughes’ locality budget to install the equipment in the grounds of Woolcombe House.

Town clerk Christopher Holland said: “It’s good, particularly for residents, as it allows them to keep an eye on the amount of rain we have. It’s a clever bit of kit. Our thanks to Stuart for putting the funding together for it.”

Cllr Hughes said the information would assist snow and road wardens prepare and help to advise residents to avoid certain roads or stock up on sandbags. He added: “I am delighted that the weather station is now installed and operating. We’ve already seen just how accurate it can be in advising of the recent bands of rain - long before they arrived. With this accuracy, resilience to future weather events will be of considerable benefit to Sidmouth and will enable people to go about their business as usual.”

Hugh Griffiths, from DCC’s highways operations control centre, said the station would help inform travelling motorists, adding: “When we get a big blue blob coming across the county, we want to see where it’s falling and where it’s causing the most damage.”