Emergency Response Teams On Standby For Storm

Gusts of up to 60 Mph predicted by Met Office for Monday

Special contingency measures are being put in place due to a severe weather warning for the early hours of Monday morning.

The Met Office are predicting winds of up to 60mph and heavy rain that could lead to some flooding.

A very intense low pressure system is forecast to run northeastwards across the country early on Monday, bringing the potential for an exceptionally windy spell for southern parts of the UK including London. At the same time, persistent, rain could cause some surface water flooding.

The Met Office warning states, "There remains some uncertainty in the timing, intensity and track of the low. However, the public should be prepared for the risk of falling trees as well as damage to buildings and other structures, bringing disruption to transport and power supplies."

Frank Saunders, Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: "We are confident that a severe storm will affect Britain on Sunday night and Monday. We are now looking at refining the details about which areas will see the strongest winds and the heaviest rain.

"This is a developing situation and we'd advise people to stay up to date with our forecasts and warnings over the weekend, and be prepared to change their plans if necessary. We'll continue to work closely with authorities and emergency services to ensure they are aware of the expected conditions."

Hounslow Highways has established an emergency response plan and will be locking down and securing barriers on the network, suspending planned works and putting its staff and contractors on notice to support operations.

Emergency crews will be on standby overnight on Sunday, including three chainsaw crews, three grab lift crews and three large digger crews for potential tree works. Two drainage crews, two highways crews and two street lighting crews will also be on standby to attend any highways emergencies.

The Hounslow Highways Emergency Response Unit will also be manned over the period to prioritise incidents and co-ordinate site attendance.

Additional highways, cleansing and contractor resources will be employed on Monday if needed for a widespread clean-up operation.

Hounslow Highways service director Rob Gillespie said: “When we receive these types of severe weather warnings it is important that we plan for worst case scenarios.

“While we hope there are no emergencies, we have briefed our crews and they are at the ready to ensure the network runs as smoothly as possible over the weekend.”

October 25, 2013