Following the reports of both amber and yellow weather warnings for high wind speeds across the Highlands and Islands, a multi-agency partnership known as the Highlands and Islands Local Resilience Partnership (HILRP) was established to monitor the effects of the severe weather conditions across the region. Last night (Thursday 09 January 2015), wind speeds of around 100mph, caused disruption to transport and services across the area. Weather alerts have been issued by the Met Office which have seen the amber alert for wind scaled down to a yellow weather alert (be aware) but in addition a yellow alert for snow and ice has also been issued. Further details can be found on the Met Office website - metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings/ Police Scotland, Superintendent Ross MacKillop advised: Since yesterday evening, we have seen severe weather causing major disruptions to road networks, power utilities and phone lines across the Highlands and Islands. Checking current forecasts and making use of websites such as Traffic Scotland, which shows live views of many of the main roads in the area, can really help with understanding what the current conditions are like. If there are reasons to travel by road, make sure you have enough fuel, pack provisions such as a blanket and warm clothing, water, non-perishable food and make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged. This can make all the difference if there is a disruption or delay to your journey. Police are also advising to help those who are vulnerable or elderly within local communities. Superintendent MacKillop continued: Local communities within the Highlands and Islands are excellent at looking out for each other. If you are aware of anyone who is elderly or vulnerable within your local area, check in with them and make sure they are safe until the current spell of bad weather passes. Partner agencies have been, and continue to work extremely hard to restore services and ensure the welfare of local communities in what are very challenging conditions.” Scottish Fire & Rescue, Group Manager for Highlands and Islands John MacDonald, said: I would like to pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of our crews who have been working tirelessly throughout last night, as a result of the storms. When needed our crews have been providing vital life-saving assistance and helping our partners at Scottish Ambulance Service reach vulnerable people in their hour of need. We will continue to do all we can to help keep people in the North of Scotland safe by working closely with partner agencies. At the same time we are maintaining operational resilience and responding to life critical incidents across the North. “We would urge members of the public to visit the Scottish Fire & Rescue website where there is a host of fire safety information should you require the use of candles during power cuts and so as not to expose yourself to any unnecessary risk or fire, keeping them on hard flat surfaces and away from any flammable materials such as curtains and upholstery.” Highland Council, Deputy Chief Executive Michelle Morris said: As several thousand households are still without power, we are working with our partners to ensure vulnerable residents are cared for. We would also encourage people to look out for elderly or vulnerable neighbours who may be without heat or light. “Many roads across the highlands continue to be affected by fallen trees and debris. Teams of staff have been working very hard, during the night and throughout the day, to clear branches and make the roads safe. The forecast is for further strong winds this evening and overnight, which may result in more trees and branches falling on roads. “There is also expected to be snow at all levels tomorrow and Sunday with a yellow weather warning in place. Road conditions, therefore are likely to continue to be difficult and caution should be exercised when travelling.” Deborah Jones, chief operating officer for NHS Highland said: Our first thoughts are with anyone who has been without power or communications and on their own. I hope that they have managed to stay safe and warm. I am also enormously grateful to our staff for going the extra mile, and to our partners agencies for supporting a multi-agency response which so far is working well. I am sure people will appreciate that we are targeting our resource at the most vulnerable While many areas have had their power restored we are continuing to ensure care at home clients are looked after and would appeal to the public and families to look out for neighbours, particularly those who are vulnerable. If people do have concerns about their own safety or that of neighbours or family specifically related to the severe weather, and are not sure who to call then NHS Highland has advised to call our Duty Social Work Team on 08457 697 284. They will be able to provide support and coordinate a response if necessary. Vincent Fitzsimmons, Hydrology Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “The main focus over the next few days is the very high winds which may cause some spray overtopping around Western and Northern coasts. Flood alerts are out for these areas, but we do not expect widespread flooding. “There are a few bands of rain moving over the country over the weekend and we expect this, combined with snowmelt in some areas, to cause a rise in rivers levels. Again impacts are expected to be limited to low-lying agricultural land and minor roads. “Further rain is forecast at the beginning of next week, which could cause some flooding issues in areas that are already saturated. We will closely monitor this over the coming days and issue updates if needed. “We encourage people to keep an eye on our flood alerts and warnings, which can be accessed via our website at floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates/ or through Floodline on 0345 988 1188. Both are updated in real time. You can also sign up to get them sent direct to your phone, for free, via Floodline or online at floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup/.” For updates on weather alerts and travel, the public are advised to listen to local radio and to visit the following websites for the most up to date information: Met Office - metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings/ Scottish and Southern Power Distribution - https://ssepd.co.uk/Powertrack/ Traffic Scotland - trafficscotland.org/ Scotrail - scotrail.co.uk/disruption-news Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries - status.calmac.info/service-status.aspx Northlink Ferries - northlinkferries.co.uk/opsnews/
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:57:17 +0000