Hounslow Council Gets Ready For Cold Weather
Gritting will start this evening as temperatures fall
With cold weather alerts regularly being issued by the Met Office and temperatures falling this week, Hounslow Council and Hounslow Highways say they are ready for the cold snap.
Gritters will be out working from 7 pm tonight (Tuesday, 29th January) on selected roads in the borough.
Throughout the winter, Hounslow Highways has a fleet of six gritters spreading rock salt on the borough’s roads to prevent ice forming. 2,700 tonnes of salt is ready to be used at a moment’s notice. The gritters are equipped with GPS trackers allowing the service to send out the closest-based vehicles to any incidents as fast as possible across the borough.
This will also ensure priority routes are cleared when road surface temperatures fall below freezing.
The Met Office issues three forecast updates each day during the winter season, which Hounslow Highways uses to programme in any required gritting ahead of any heavy snowfall.
The council is reminding residents to keep warm and well during colder temperatures, advice on how to keep warm inside your home and when outside, is available online – visit Stay well this winter
Top tips for keeping warm and well this winter, include:
• If going outside, dress appropriately. If indoors, make sure you
keep your heating to the right temperatures [heating your home to at least
18 to 21°C].
• Check on elderly relatives/neighbours, especially those who live
alone and may be vulnerable to the cold.
• Have regular hot meals and drinks throughout the day and keep
active to help your body stay warm - wear a few layers of thin clothing
rather than one thick layer - and when you need to go outside wear shoes
with slip resistant, good grip soles.
• Keep stocked up with essential medication.
Hounslow Highways, which manages the borough’s streets on behalf
of the council, has its winter service programme in full flow.
In addition to the fleet of gritters on standby, the service also sends
out street cleansing staff with shovels and salt to carry out gritting
by hand when necessary.
Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Communities and Workforce,
Hounslow Council, said:
“Winter is a time of year when it is particularly important for
people to look after themselves during the cold weather because it is
traditionally the time of year when people, especially older residents,
are most at risk of developing serious health conditions.
“We would urge residents to keep warm and well and check on those
more vulnerable, during these cold snaps.”
Information about dealing with emergencies is also available here www.hounslow.gov.uk/emergencies
January 29, 2019