Severe weather, even in the UK, can catch people out during everyday activities such as driving and walking or even in and around the home. Preventative action taken by individuals can help protect life and property.

With the first severe gales of the autumn almost upon us, the Met Office has today launched a new service giving advice to the public in the event of severe weather. This is part of an ongoing programme to improve its web-based services to the public and comes while working in partnership with other key organisations.

Gales are the most common cause of damage and disruption in the UK. Between 1962 and 1995, 184 deaths alone were caused by building failures resulting from wind. The majority of damage reports come from domestic dwellings. The average cost of damage each year is at least £300 million.

The advice is based on simple precautions that can be taken by individuals to help protect themselves during severe weather. It gives information on what to do during periods of:

Severe gales
Don’t go outside to repair damage while the storm is in progress, says the advice in this section, and afterwards, be careful not to touch any electrical/telephone cables that have been blown down or are still hanging.

There is useful advice on what to secure before the storm too, such as moving beds away from chimney stacks in poor condition, closing internal doors and fastening loft hatches.

Heavy rain
Forecasting floods depends on the type and nature of the events that trigger them. Short periods of intense rainfall can cause flash flooding, longer periods of widespread heavy rain can cause rivers to overflow and storm surges can cause coastal flooding.

Advice in this section covers moving valuables including documents to a higher level and buying in provisions like bottled water before the bad weather arrives. Avoid walking through floodwater, streams or rivers in full flow — just six inches of rapidly moving water can knock a person over.

Thunderstorms and lightning
There are many myths surrounding lightning — such as lightning never strikes the same place twice or it always strikes the tallest object. Both are false, as lightning strikes the best conductor on the ground — whether it has been struck before or not.

Before the thunderstorm arrives unplug all non-essential appliances, including the television, as lightning can cause power surges. If you are caught outside in an exposed location, says the advice, it may be advisable to squat close to the ground, with hands on knees and with head tucked between them. Try to touch as little of the ground with your body as possible, do not lie down on the ground.
If you feel your hair stand on end, drop to the above position immediately.

Other severe weather events covered are:

• Heavy snow and icy roads
• Heat and sun
• Dense fog