The Met Office has issued yellow and amber weather warnings for the UK from today, Monday 26 February till Thursday 1 March, including a risk of snow and severe cold weather.

Yellow means light snow showers, with amber warning of heavier snowfalls.

Here is the daily breakdown of the week's weather in London:

Today:
Scattered snow showers in eastern parts will spread westwards through the day, becoming more persistent with some accumulations possible in places. These will be interspersed with some sunny intervals. Feeling very cold with a brisk and bitter easterly breeze. Maximum temperature 2 °C.

Tonight:
Showers will continue in places overnight, especially in Kent and Sussex where they will become persistent and heavy with significant accumulations likely. Very cold with a widespread severe frost forming. Minimum temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday:
Further snow showers through the day, locally persistent in Kent and Sussex. Some bright or sunny intervals are likely, but feeling bitterly cold in the increasing easterly breeze. Maximum temperature 2 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:
Bitterly cold, increasingly windy, with penetrating night frosts. Snow showers continuing, giving some significant accumulations and drifting. Showers briefly easing Thursday before potentially prolonged snowfall later and overnight into Friday.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is asking residents to please take care when travelling around the borough and look out for the elderly or very young.

The council says: " We will be gritting the roads to keep the priority routes clear, however residential roads will only be gritted should snow fall and settle over a number of days.

" In freezing temperatures we spread a mixture of grit and salt on roads and pavements, which improves your grip and melts ice.

" Every day we get a specialised weather forecast from MeteoGroup Ltd. This predicts the possibility of freezing road temperatures and snow, and when these conditions may occur. If we receive such a warning, we grit the roads..

" From the time we call out our gritting lorries, Priority 1 routes will be treated within 2 hours, Priority 2 routes within 4 hours and Priority 3 routes within 48 hours.

" First we will grit the borough’s busiest roads, including those with bus routes or a high risk of accidents in freezing conditions. The three levels of priority are:

Priority 1 - Strategic routes, principal roads, important classified roads and bus routes
Priority 2 - All other classified roads, important unclassified roads and bus routes
Priority 3 - During long periods of lying ice or snow, minor access roads in hilly or exposed locations, and sometimes important footway routes, will be treated

"We'll only consider Priority 3 routes during severe conditions, when all other priorities have been fully treated and resources become available."

• Map of priority gritting - roads (pdf 3.2MB)
• Map of priority clearing and gritting - footways (pdf 3.2MB)

If you have any questions about gritting or snow clearance, please email highwaysgeneral@lbhf.gov.uk.

TfL meanwhile says it is joining forces with London Councils - the body representing all of London's boroughs and the City of London - to develop coordinated plans to keep London moving.

In case of any severe winter weather, TfL will keep the rail and strategic road networks open and running, including key arterial roads, cycle routes and footways around bus and railway stations, hospitals and police, fire and ambulance stations across London.

Between TfL and the London boroughs, more than 100,000 tonnes of salt are available at key locations across the Capital for quick and easy access.

TfL is responsible for the maintenance of all of London's Red Routes, a network of 580km of key roads, and has a fleet of 39 road gritters, all of which are low emission and can be fitted with ploughs, as well as gritting quad-bikes and flatbed trucks to keep the roads and pavements clear.

TfL and London's boroughs will also ensure that cycling routes remain safe, using the dedicated Cycle Superhighways grit spreader.

Across London, all transport agencies will be working around the clock to minimise any disruption on the Tube, bus, rail and road networks.

On London Underground there are well rehearsed plans that include running de-icing trains overnight, keeping tracks as clear as possible and treating platforms to keep them safe for customers.

On the DLR, points heaters are in operation and teams of staff are ready to grit station platforms. On London Overground, trains that are fitted with de-icing tanks will be operating across the network to ensure conductor rails are free of ice.

Stations will also be gritted and conductor rail heating has been installed at key parts of the network.

Londoners and visitors to the city are reminded to check before they travel during any severe cold weather period, and to allow extra journey time where necessary.

Passengers can check before travelling by visiting tfl.gov.uk or following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

H&F Council is also warning that schools may close during very bad weather and adds that your child's school will text you if it is going to be closed. If you are unsure, check directly with the school before you travel. H&F schools contact details.

The NHS offers advice on coping with cold weather and looking after vulnerable neighbours and relatives at its Keep warm, keep well page.

The Met Office also offers advice on its page, Get Ready for Winter.

 

 

February 26, 2018