Met Office launches winter safety campaign.
Nearly half of people in the UK have been caught out unexpectedly by severe weather over the past year, with heavy rain stopping people getting to work on time the biggest cause of disruption, a new survey shows.
Issues with public transport, slipping on ice, and power cuts have also impacted almost one in five people, the Met Office findings reveal.
This week, the authority launches its ‘WeatherReady’ winter campaign, which makes clear the potential impacts of winter weather across Milton Keynes and the rest of the country. And it warns everyone not to get caught out by harsh weather. It comes as MK residents prepare for the clocks going back this weekend.
“While it’s too early to give a forecast for the whole of the winter ahead, we want to help individuals, families and communities prepare for, and cope with, severe weather,” said Will Lang, Met Office Head of Situational Awareness.
“WeatherReady reminds us all to think ahead and consider how we might be impacted by severe weather.”
The survey, of people from across the UK, showed that half (50%) of those questioned said the worst part of Britain’s winter weather is how cold it gets, and a third (34%) said they didn’t like how unpredictable the weather is. A further 32% of those surveyed said that not being able to go outside as much in winter bothered them the most.
Strong winds and storms worried more than a third of people (39%), while the findings also revealed that only 18% checked up on vulnerable people they know, before severe weather hits.
Checking the latest forecast and knowing what the weather is likely to do is a key part of being prepared, says the Met Office, but it’s also important to know how to take action if needed.
Knowing how to shut off your electricity or gas supply quickly, having a first aid kit to hand, or preparing a list of useful contact numbers, could all help minimise impact and disruption.
“We want to empower people and communities to think ahead and take control of how the weather impacts them. The Met Office’s WeatherReady pages bring together lots of helpful advice from our expert partners so that people know exactly what they can do to prepare ahead of impactful weather.”
The Met Office advice is available here: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready.
