Severe Weather
Are you weather ready?
Being prepared for all types of weather is so important as it can affect so many aspects of our daily lives all year round.
In the colder months, this may have impacts on driving, our health and the increased possibilities of power cuts in our homes.
In the warmer months, preparing for summer is equally important.
The Met Office's "Are you weather ready?" weather campaign is now a year round campaign which is run in partnership with the Cabinet Office to help you prepare for and cope with severe weather.
Summer planning
WeatherReady is currently focusing on encouraging individuals, families and communities to think about summer preparations they can make to help them stay safe and healthy at this time of year.
For more information and tips on everything from summer cycling, gardening, hosepipes and keeping cool, please go to the Met Office Weather Ready website.
Please also see our webpages on heatwave advice.
Winter planning
The Weather Ready campaign from October to March will instead offer advice on the colder weather.
You can expect advice designed to keep you and your family safe and well during the winter months – from driving in severe weather to ensuring your home is prepared for a cold snap, so no matter what the weather brings we can enjoy the winter months ahead.
This website also offers a very useful '10 things you should do now to prepare for winter guide' to help everyone prepare in advance of the cold winter period.
Severe weather can also cause loss of power to homes during winter, so for further advice on what to do and who to contact if your home suffers a power cut, please visit our loss of power and winter weather pages.
Severe Weather advice for Businesses
Cold weather, wintery conditions, strong winds and rain can cause significant problems to businesses. To help ensure your business remains safe and productive, Kent County Council (KCC) in partnership with Low Carbon Kent have produced two helpful factsheets for Businesses to download. These include advice on protecting your premises, preparing for severe weather and understanding your risks.
View guidance on improving your business resilience and protecting against storms and cold weather.
Drought
With the recent warm, dry weather and the increased demand for household water supply, there is a greater need to be responsible with the water supply we have. This combined with droughts in recent years across much of England, including Kent can result in water companies applying restrictions (such as in 2012) to limit certain uses of water to help them conserve their remaining supplies.
For further information on water restrictions, please visit the Environment Agency for details.
The Waterwise website also offers further information and useful tips on how to cut your water use and save money. For advice, please visit Waterwise for water saving tips.
During a drought or a hosepipe ban, your water supplier will be able to offer additional help and advice.
Water companies covering the Ashford area are:
- Southern Water - 0845 278 0845
- South East Water - 0333 000 0002
To find further useful information on any issues with your water supply, please go to South East Water's problem solving or visit our loss of water page.
Contact us
If you have any queries or require further information on this webpage, please contact Emergency Planning via 01233 331111 or email emergency.planning@ashford.gov.uk
