PREPARING FOR WINTER

18th November 2010

The Scottish Government has published information on preparing for winter at www.ReadyScotland.org which contains some practical advice and simple steps people can take to protect themselves, their families and their businesses.

Last winter Scotland experienced some of the coldest weather and the worst snow and ice that we have seen for many years.

But even an average winter is likely to include cold snaps and snowfalls, ice, storms, high winds, heavy rain and fog. Some parts of Scotland can be worse affected than others, and weather has the ability to disrupt our daily lives, whether that's by flooding, blocked roads, uprooted trees, power cuts or burst pipes at home.

Local authorities across Scotland take considerable steps to maintain public services and keep roads clear, whatever the weather. But there are many steps the public can also take in addition, in their own homes and with their neighbours, to minimise the effects of winter weather in their local communities.

We would encourage members of the public to look at this information and to think about how they might prepare for whatever weather the coming winter might bring. We are also keen to hear from members of the public who have any experiences to share with others about how to deal with winter weather - they can send an email to ReadyScotland[AT]scotland.gsi.gov.uk to share their story.