4 days Ago By Claire Schofield
Fresh snow warnings have been issued for large swathes of the UK ahead of Storm Bert ’s arrival this weekend. The Met Office has warned the storm will bring heavy rain and snow and strong winds to much of the country when it reaches UK shores on Saturday. Yellow and amber severe weather alerts for snow and ice have been issued for Saturday and Sunday, with households being warned to expect disruption.
Heavy snow is forecast to spread north east on Saturday morning, with as much as 40cm likely to fall on higher ground and between 10cm and 20cm on lower levels. The Met Office has warned that strong winds will lead to drifting of lying snow, making travel conditions difficult and potentially causing power outages in some areas. The snow will eventually revert to rain later in the day, but may be preceded by a bout of freezing rain in parts, creating an ice risk on roads and pavements.
With more snow and freezing temperatures on the way, households are being urged to turn off electrical heaters overnight and to put out their fire before going to bed. Leaving electric heaters on all night, even if weather conditions are freezing, is not recommended as it is a significant fire risk. Electric heaters can ignite if they malfunction or have frayed wiring, and they can also make the air in the room very dry which makes it more likely for items in the room to catch fire if they malfunction.
Most electric heaters don’t produce carbon monoxide, but if you have one that burns fuel like propane or kerosene then there is also a risk it can leak and cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Additionally, electric heaters are generally more expensive to run than gas so you can incur some pricey energy bills by running them a lot. A better option is to set your central heating to stay on continuously through the night and keep your thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and night during bouts of cold weather.
The NHS, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Age UK, recommends a minimum temperature of 18C to safeguard against the cold. For families with babies, rooms should be heated between 16C and 20C while they sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Other simple measures you can take to keep your home warm during cold weather, that doesn’t pose a safety risk, include closing your curtains at dusk, keeping doors shut to block draughts, installing draught excluders, shutting bedroom windows during the night and wearing multiple layers of lighter clothing, as this provides more warmth than a single thick layer.
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