FREAK weather has caused millions of pounds of damage to roads and bridges across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, new figures have revealed.

Floods, swollen rivers and searing temperatures have forced cash-strapped councils to fork out more than £11m on repairs since 2001. It was the highest amount in Britain and a huge chunk of the bill was passed onto taxpayers. Local authorities were compelled to strengthen dangerously-weakened bridges and shore up highways crumbling because of droughts.

Residents face paying even more following the appalling weather conditions of this summer. Meteorologists say it has been the wettest August on record and many parts of the south have suffered severe flooding.

Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats reveal Hampshire spent £6.53m on repairing flood-damaged roads and bridges in 2001. Only Kent spent more - £7.06mn, according to Department of Transport statistics.

In 2003, Hampshire shelled out £3.03m repairing roads damaged by that summer's blistering heatwave. The Isle of Wight spent £1.5m. Nationally, local councils spent £45m tackling roads and bridges weakened by floods and £40m on drought damage.

John Thurso, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, said: "Many motorists will have already suffered the dangerous driving conditions caused by recent flooding. The second blow will be the huge cost of repairing the road damage caused by the increasingly frequent freak weather conditions."

The Department for Transport said the government was working to mitigate the effect of climate change by reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Last week the Daily Echo revealed how the wet summer has already cost Hampshire farmers about £26m in lost crops.