Severe weather advice

Severe weather conditions can cause widespread disruption to areas and even pose a threat to safety. The Met Office monitors conditions in the UK and uses the National Severe Weather Warning Service to issue warnings to the public when severe weather is likely.

For your own safety, it is vital that you understand the information that is issued relating to severe weather, and what to do when you are affected.

National severe weather warning service

The most important thing to do is to regularly check your local weather forecast and keep up to date with the latest weather warnings. An overview of all of the current weather warnings in the UK can be found on the MET Office website.

MET Office severe weather warnings are issued for hazardous conditions involving rain, wind, fog, snow and ice - and use a coloured scale to indicate both the likelihood and the foreseeable impacts of the particular conditions.

Warning level	What this means
Yellow	Be Aware: Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations. Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places. Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected. Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower. It is important to read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning.
Amber	Be Prepared: There is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans. This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
Red	Take Action:Dangerous weather is expected and, if you haven't already done so, you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the severe weather. It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure. You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.

What to expect and what actions to take

The sections below provide information as to the impacts that are likely to be witnessed during each of the severe weather events for which MET Office weather warnings are provided, and some general advice on what you should do to protect yourself from them.

Note that even a "very low" impact rating may still result in weather conditions which are sufficient to cause some minor impacts.

Rain

The main hazard from rain is flooding. Assessment of the potential flood impacts are carried out in consultation with the Environment Agency. They provide warnings and alerts of flooding for specific rivers.

Environment Agency Flooding Guidance

Rating	Impact Expected/Action required
Very Low	A few places will have flooding of low-lying land and susceptible roads. Few transport routes may be affected. Road conditions affected with spray and some standing water in a few places. Take care when driving as wet roads and pooling surface water may make conditions difficult.
Low	Some flooding of homes and businesses and susceptible roads. Some transport routes and travel services affected. Some journeys require longer travel times. Road conditions affected by spray and standing water. Short term disruption to utilities and services in some places. Drive carefully according to the conditions, and aim to avoid areas that are prone to flooding.
Medium	Flooding of homes and businesses. Danger to life from fast flowing/deep water. Damage to buildings/ structures. Transport routes and travel services affected. Longer journey times expected. Some road closures. Difficult road conditions due to spray and standing water. Interruption to utilities and services. Some communities temporarily inaccessible due to flooded access routes. Be prepared to protect yourself and your property, and look out for vulnerable friends, family and members of the community.
High	Widespread flooding of homes and businesses. Danger to life from fast flowing/deep water. Extensive damage to and/or collapse of buildings/ structures. Transport routes and travel services disrupted for a prolonged period. Long travel delays. Widespread road closures. Dangerous driving conditions due to spray and standing water. Prolonged disruption to or loss of utilities and services. Communities become cut off for a prolonged period, perhaps several days, due to flooded access routes. Ensure you look out for vulnerable friends, family and members of the community. Above all else, take action to ensure your own safety and follow the advice of the emergency services.

Wind

Wind storms tend to last for several hours in any one location, although the impacts may continue for longer. However, if a major wind storm is followed by subsequent windy spells, recovery from the impacts of the original storm can be hampered, and the impacts can become prolonged.

Strong winds and storms often result in tree damage and trees being brought down. Where trees fall is critical to the type and severity of the impact caused. A single tree falling across a road, railway or falling onto property can have a very different level of impact - compared to several trees falling in remote countryside. Trees can often be the catalyst for the impacts listed below, such as loss of power when a tree falls onto power lines or delayed travel times when trees block road or rail routes.

Rating	Impact Expected/Action required
Very Low	Loose debris blown around. Few transport routes affected by difficult driving conditions. Be aware of small debris being blown around.
Low	Some transport routes and travel services affected. Some journeys require longer travel times. Some disruption to road, rail, air and ferry transport. Difficult driving conditions for high-sided vehicles on prone routes, such as cross winds on exposed or high level roads. A few power interruptions. Be aware of small debris being blown around.
Medium	Injuries and danger to life from flying debris. Some structural damage, such as slates dislodged from roofs. Transport routes and travel services affected. Longer journey times expected. Disruption to road, rail, air and/or ferry transport. Closure of some susceptible and key routes (e.g. some vulnerable bridges). Interruptions to power and/or other utilities and services. Be prepared for disruption to travel, such as bridge and road closures, as well as localised interruptions to power.
High	Widespread danger to life from flying debris. Widespread structural damage e.g. roofs blown off, mobile homes overturned, power lines brought down. Transport routes and travel services affected for a prolonged period. Long travel delays. Closure of main bridges, road and rail networks in many areas, and significant disruption to air and ferry transport. Widespread and prolonged disruption to power, and/or other utilities and services. Avoid unnecessary travel and take action to ensure your own safety. Follow advice from the emergency services.

Fog

Where fog is patchy, drivers will tend to slow down or speed up as they move into and out of areas of fog. This can present a greater risk of road traffic collisions than widespread fog, when drivers are more likely to drive more slowly and appropriate to the constant low visibility conditions.

Dense fog lasting for several days is likely to have an initial impact on the first day or so, predominantly to the transport network. Dense, persistent fog can lead to delays at airports and flight cancellations. As organisations and people adjust to persisting fog, we often see that the impact of the fog lessens beyond the first day or so, even though the fog itself is still present. High impacts from fog are therefore not expected and not catered for on the impacts table.

Rating	Impact Expected/Action required
Very Low	Limited travel disruption with difficult travel conditions mostly confined to a few prone routes. A few road traffic collisions. Care should be taken in these areas, especially when driving.
Low	Difficult driving conditions with slower journey times. Some road traffic collisions. Passengers delayed with short-term closure of airports. Extra care should be taken when driving through affected areas, and journeys may take longer than usual.
Medium	Difficult driving conditions with long journey times. Road traffic collisions. Passengers delayed and/or stranded at airports and/or ferry terminals. Drivers should be extremely careful in affected areas.
High	N/A

Snow

When snow falls in the UK it can quickly lead to impacts on transport networks. Road and air transport organisations help mitigate possible disruption by taking winter maintenance actions, such as gritting and ploughing. Daily forecasts, specifically focussed on gritting and ploughing requirements, are used by some organisations to help them make decisions on treatment strategies to reduce impacts caused by snow.

When accompanied by strong winds, snow can drift and this can cause large variations in snow depth and make it difficult to clear roads, railways and runways.

Met Office Travel Advice

Exposure to snow and cold temperatures can increase the chance of hypothermia, cold related injuries and health complications.

Health and Wellbeing Advice

Rating	Impact Expected/Action required
Very Low	Few transport routes affected. Take extra care when walking, cycling or driving in affected areas.
Low	Some transport routes and travel services affected. Some journeys require longer travel times. Extra care should be taken when walking, cycling or driving
Medium	Transport routes and travel services affected. Longer journey times expected. Some stranded vehicles and passengers, with disruption to rail, road and air services. Interruptions to power and/or other utilities and services. Some rural communities temporarily inaccessible due to deep snow or snow drifts. Be prepared for disruption to travel, services and utilities.
High	Transport routes and travel services affected for a prolonged period. Long travel delays. Large numbers of stranded vehicles and passengers with widespread disruption to rail, road and air services. Widespread and prolonged interruptions to power and/or other utilities and services. Rural communities cut off for a prolonged period, perhaps several days, due to deep snow or snow drifts. Avoid unnecessary travel and take action to ensure your own safety. Follow advice from the emergency services.

Ice

Impacts from ice on roads can be mitigated by treating roads with salt or grit. However, not all roads, cycle paths and pavements will be treated. Some organisations take specialised daily forecasts to help them make decisions on treatment strategies.

On some rare occasions, freezing rain can fall. This is when rain freezes immediately on contact with very cold surfaces, such as roads and windscreens. This can lead to very dangerous icy conditions, resulting in high impacts for emergency services and normal daily routines.

Rating	Impact Expected/Action required
Very Low	Few transport routes affected by ice on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. Limited travel disruption with difficult conditions mostly confined to a few prone routes. Extra care should be taken when walking, cycling or driving.
Low	Some injuries from slips and falls. Some transport routes and travel services affected with some ice on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, but road networks generally open. Some road traffic collisions. Extra care should be taken when walking, cycling or driving, and journeys are likely to take longer than usual.
Medium	Casualties with risk to life. Injuries from slips and falls. Transport routes and travel services affected by widespread black ice. Some road closures and some only passable with care. Untreated pavements and cycle paths impassable. Some travel disruption with longer journey times and road traffic collisions. Interruptions to power and/or other utilities and services. Be prepared for disruption to travel. Extra care should be taken when walking, cycling or driving and journeys are likely to take longer than usual.
High	Widespread risk to life. Casualties and injuries from slips and falls. Transport routes and travel services affected by sudden formation of black ice across whole communities with roads pavements and cycle paths becoming instantly impassable. Widespread disruption to road, rail and air transport with frequent road traffic collisions. Widespread interruptions to power due to power line icing, leading to impacts on telecommunications. Avoid unnecessary travel and take action to ensure your own safety.

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