Tag: winter weather

Severe weather warning: check before you travel

Scotland is braced for a weekend of storms with winds of up to 100mph overnight and tomorrow followed by snow and ice. Looks like we’re going to have a winter after all …

storm clouds

Government Ministers are receiving regular and detailed updates on preparations for the severe weather due to hit Scotland tonight and tomorrow morning, following a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team this morning.

The Met Office has Amber (be prepared) warnings in place for very strong westerly winds across the north and the central belt.

Parts of Strathclyde, Central, Tayside, Fife and the Lothians will be affected by conditions until around 0800 hours on Friday with gusts of 60-70 mph quite widely expected. The Western Isles, the north and north-west of the mainland and Orkney will see gusts of 80 to 90 mph with a risk of gusts of over 100 mph in places until around midday.

The rest of the country is covered by a Yellow (be alert) warning and winds should quickly ease from the west throughout Friday, before picking on Saturday morning.

Responder authorities in the areas expected to be affected are activating their plans to deal with the potential impacts.

There is expected to be disruption on the transport network and a Multi-Agency Response Team (MART), involving partner organisations, such as Police Scotland, is being activated to monitor conditions and make sure that the public has the latest information.

Utility suppliers are increasing staff resources and putting back-up resources in place to deal with potential disruption to power supplies.

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney said: “The weather fronts will bring particularly strong winds across the north-west of Scotland, the islands and across the central belt overnight and when people are making their way to work in the morning.

“The Scottish Government’s Resilience operation is actively monitoring weather developments and receiving updates from the Met Office, SEPA and the utilities companies, as well as keeping in touch with emergency responders and councils at a local level in the areas likely to be affected by adverse weather

“Contingency plans are being made by transport authorities and passengers should expect cancelations and disruption on ferries and the railways. The travel operators websites will have all of the latest information and people should check them before they set-off on their journey.

“On the roads, bridges could be affected by high winds, and driving conditions could be challenging, particularly for high-sided vehicles. Motorists should allow extra time for their journeys and check the Traffic Scotland website before they set-out.

“Utility companies are increasing resources and moving them to places where the storm is likely to damage the electricity network.

“The Scottish Government’s annual campaign, Ready for Winter, is a good reminder of the simple actions we can all take to prepare for adverse conditions. Information is available at www.readyscotland.org”

SEPA Hydrology Duty Manager David Faichney said: “We are currently in the process of preparing flood alerts and warnings for areas where there is a potential for impacts. We remain in contact with our partners through the Flood Forecast Service and will ensure detailed flood forecasts are available to responders.

“As always we would encourage the public to be mindful of the weather forecast and remain vigilant to the risk of flooding in their area by checking the active flood updates on our website at www.sepa.org.uk/flooding or by signing up to Floodline on 0345 988 1188.”

David Dickson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: “Safety has to be our first consideration during severe weather. We will be withdrawing a limited number of services on exposed routes tomorrow until the worst of the storm has passed to allow our engineers to thoroughly inspect the network for any damage.

“We will be monitoring conditions on the ground closely throughout the night and into the morning and will have teams ready to respond to any issues caused by the storm.

“We are working closely with the train operators, and other industry partners, to reduce disruption as much as possible while also operating a safe network for passengers.”

SEVERE WEATHER ADVICE

DrylawRainSevere weather has the ability to disrupt our daily lives, in all sorts of ways, like the loss of power and property damage. By knowing what to do to prepare, you will reduce the risks.

Weather conditions and warnings

Travel

  • Consider the conditions before you set off and think about how severe weather can impact on you. See Ready Scotland’s advice on travelling.
  • For real-time journey information, listen to radio reports or visit the Traffic Scotland website/ twitter feed.
  • For public transport information, check the Traveline website/ twitter feed.
  • If driving, ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions.

Loss of utilities

Flooding

  • Check SEPA’s website for the latest flooding alerts or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also sign up to SEPA’s free Floodline direct warning service.

Strong winds

  • Like flooding, severe winds can occur at any time of year. See Ready Scotland’s advice on how to prepare for severe windy weather.

Severe weather can strike at any time so taking action now will serve you well in winter, and all year round.

In the last few years, we’ve seen it all – snow, floods and strong winds. And it doesn’t take much for it to impact on our daily lives. Like getting stuck indoors for a few days, or losing your phone communication, power or water supply.

Severe weather can cause a range of problems – but you can be ready for them. By doing a few small things now, you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on.  You can also do your bit to help out in your community.

See below for information and useful tips on how to prepare:

• In your home
• On the move
• In your community
• In your workplace

Take an hour to get ready for winter

SnowboundCar

Scots urged to use the extra hour to prepare for winter

A campaign launched today urges people in Scotland to use the extra hour as the clocks go back on Sunday (27 October) to get ready for winter.

We can’t be sure what weather Scotland will see over the winter period right now. But the campaign reminds people that severe weather can strike at any time, so taking action now will serve them well in winter, and all year round.

While 44 per-cent of people in Scotland say they feel prepared for severe weather according to new research published today, people are being asked to consider how prepared they are for all kinds of challenging conditions through this year’s Ready for Winter campaign.

The campaign sets out the simple steps we can all take in the home, before a journey (whether driving, cycling or on foot), at work and in our communities. It also encourages people to look out for others, especially the more vulnerable, when bad weather strikes.

Findings from the survey carried out jointly by the British Red Cross and the Scottish Government show that:

  • There’s a five per cent increase in public preparedness for extreme weather on last year – 44 per cent in 2013 versus 39 per cent in 2012.
  • People are most concerned about extreme weather, power cuts and being cut off from their water supply.
  • Many car owners think they’re doing enough just by having an ice scraper and de-icer.

In the last four years, parts of Scotland have been badly affected by severe weather – from high winds and blizzards that affected the country last February, to the snow and freezing temperatures of previous winters.

Launching the campaign, Minister for Transport and Veterans, Keith Brown, said: “While we can’t stop the weather causing disruption, we can be well prepared to deal with it.  Our winter preparedness campaign reminds us of this and the simple actions we can all take to prepare ourselves.  With the clocks changing next week, the campaign calls on everyone to use the extra hour to get ready in the home, before a journey, at our place of work and in our communities.  This will serve us well not just throughout the winter months, but all year round and in a range of emergency situations.

“As we have seen in Scotland, severe weather can strike quickly and at any time of year. In March, we saw the impact of severe snowstorms on communities in Arran, Kintyre and Dumfries and Galloway. The weather can cause a range of problems but we can be ready for them. So whether it is making your home energy efficient, protecting your pipes, packing an emergency kit for the car or looking out for vulnerable neighbours, we can all play our part in helping Scotland get ready for winter.

“I’m delighted the campaign is again being run in partnership with the British Red Cross and will be supported by a variety of other partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors in Scotland.”

David Miller, operations director for the British Red Cross, said: “At the Red Cross we know that severe weather, including snow and floods, can happen quickly and have serious consequences. However, with a few simple steps you can make yourself and others more able to cope with the disruption it can bring. You can prepare an emergency kit for your home and car, jot down your emergency phone numbers and check on any neighbours, family or friends to see if they will need any help.

“Each year the Red Cross helps people across Scotland cope with the effects of severe weather and this winter we’ll be prepared and ready. We urge everyone to take some time to get ready too.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Education & Young People, Cllr Douglas Chapman, said: “The past few years have demonstrated how unpredictable our weather can be and the risks of being underprepared for it. Councils have contingency plans in place to minimise the effects of severe weather on services this winter but we encourage individuals to also work together to ensure their communities are prepared.”

Inspector David Carballo, Trunk Road Policing Group, Police Scotland, said: “Winter safety is not just about severe cold weather. We all know that the Scottish weather can be very unpredictable and drivers can sometimes experience a variety of different driving conditions during a single journey.

“Effective planning plays a huge part in everyone getting safely to their destination and, in support of the Ready for Winter campaign, Police Scotland will be working with road safety groups and organisations to offer free advice to road users.”

Phil Evans, the Met Office’s Director of Government Business, said: “We are pleased to continue to work with the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, SEPA and many more agencies this year. By working together we can ensure the Scottish public are well informed and able to prepare for any severe weather ahead. Members of the public can stay up-to-date by checking the forecasts and warnings on our website – www.metoffice.gov.uk.”

ice