The Met Office has warned UK households to “keep families safe” as it issued a flood and snow warning. “It’s never too late to take action and prepare for flooding,” the Met Office said, alongside “six simple steps to protect your home or business”.
It warned: “Check the flood advice in your area to know when and where flooding will happen. Charge mobile phone devices. Park your car outside the flood zone. Prepare a flood kit to help you cope in the event of flooding to your home and business.
“Store valuables up high, including electrical devices, important documents and furniture. Turn off gas water and electricity supplies.” It added that, if you are trapped in a building by floodwater, follow these simple instructions to keep you and your family safe.
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It said: “Go to the highest level in the building you are in. Do not go into attic spaces to avoid being trapped by rising water. Only go to a roof if necessary. Call 999 and wait for help.” The alert for Scotland says: “Sleet and snow showers will continue for the rest of Tuesday, before becoming confined to northern and northeastern parts of the warning area on Wednesday.
“Further accumulations of 2 to 5 cm in places, and 5 to 10 cm above 200 metres across northern Scotland. Where any modest thaw has occurred, icy stretches are likely on untreated surfaces.” The alerts span 3pm on Monday, January 6 to midday on Wednesday (January 8) – a 45-hour span.
The warning for Northern Ireland states: “Showers of rain and sleet near coasts, and snow inland, will continue to affect Northern Ireland this afternoon and into this evening. Overnight, showers should become confined to coastal areas. With winds easing, it is likely to be a much colder night than last night, bringing widespread frost and icy patches.” The Met Office warning also said: “Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.
“If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads, which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.”