Severe Weather, Flooding, and Drought
You can track the latest forecast by referring to the Met Office UK further outlook [External website] which is updated twice-weekly.
Flooding
Advice from the Environment Agency – When you hear a flood warning...
-
Listen out for warnings on radio and TV and phone Floodline on
0845 988 1188 for more information.
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Move pets, vehicles, valuables and other items to safety.
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Alert your neighbours, particularly the elderly.
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Put sandbags or flood boards in place - but make sure your property is
ventilated.
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Plug sinks/baths and put a sandbag in the toilet bowl to prevent
backflow.
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Be ready to turn off gas and electricity (get help if needed). Unplug
electrical items and move them upstairs if possible.
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Co-operate with emergency services and local authorities - you may be
evacuated to a rest centre.
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Do as much as you can in daylight. Doing anything in the dark will be a
lot harder, especially if the electricity fails.
Links
- Telephone Floodline 0845 988 1188
- REGIONAL INFORMATION - Listen to local radio, and check
ITV Teletext page 160 and BBC CEEFAX pages 437 and 438. All are updated
frequently.
Health Advice
Advice from the Environment Agency
- Environment
Agency: Managing Flood Risk [External website] with
information on what makes a flood happen, managing flood water, forecasting
and warning, when a flood happens, and into the future - climate change,
new technology and training
- Online
Flood Library [External website] - All the Environment
Agency's flood literature in one place.
Travel Advice
-
National Rail [External website] - Travel
Disruption listed by Train Operating Companies
-
Highways
Agency [External website] - Travel Information
for Road Users
Government Planning and Response:
Weather Forecasts
Severe Weather
From the Met Office
Heatwave
Drought and Water-saving tips
The Environment Agency's Location of hosepipe and sprinkler bans page [External website] has regularly updated details of measures currently in force, with links to water company websites.
Saving water at home
From the Environment
Agency: By thinking carefully about your water use in the home and
changing some water-wasting habits, it is easy to save water.
- Vegetables and fruit should be washed in a bowl rather than under a running
tap and the leftover water can be used for watering house plants.
- Use the minimum amount of water required when you boil water in saucepans
and kettles; that way, you'll save energy as well as water.
- Try keeping a bottle or jug of water in the fridge instead of running
taps until the water runs cold.
- Half-load programmes on dishwashers and washing machines use more than
half the water and energy of a full load. Wait until you have a full load
before switching the machine on.
- Try not to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, shave or
wash your hands, as this can waste up to 5 litres of water per minute.
- A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember
that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.
- Old toilet cisterns can use as much as 9 litres of clean water every
flush. Reduce this by placing a 'save-a-flush' or 'hippo' in the cistern.
- Cotton wool and tissues should be put in a waste bin rather than flushed
down the toilet.
- Dripping taps can waste up to 4 litres of water a day. Replace worn tap
washers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.
- Burst water pipes can cause serious damage as well as wasting water.
- Ensure your water pipes and external taps are lagged in time for the
cold winter months.
Links
Climate Change
- Defra - Climate Change [External website] - information on climate change, what causes it, how the world and the UK could be affected, what is being done to tackle the effects of climate change, and how industry, businesses, and individuals can do their bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Tyndall Centre [External website] - scientists, economists, engineers and social scientists, working to develop sustainable responses to climate change.
Training
- The Emergency Planning College (EPC) [External website] is the leading provider of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident. The EPC runs courses on emergencies in severe weather as well as other aspects of civil protection:
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