BROMSGROVE is bracing itself for days of icy winds and sub-zero temperatures as the ‘Troll of Trondheim’ weather front sweeps in from Norway.
According to the Met Office, temperatures could fall as low as -3°C tonight and over the weekend.
And, although no snow was forecast for Worcestershire or south Birmingham as the Standard went to press, that could all change as the freezing system makes its way across the UK.
Roads and pavements
Gritters have been out across Worcestershire every night since Wednesday and will continue tonight and over the next few days to keep people moving.
The county council has 36 gritting vehicles, 54 drivers and 16,750tonnes of salt across six depots and 1,320 grit bins placed strategically across Worcestershire.
Coun Mike Rouse, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council, said: “Staff at our depots across the county are preparing and working with our Highways teams to ensure the grit hits the road at precisely the right time, to make the roads safe for our residents to travel as the colder weather continues.
“We have five large barns and a dome filled with enough salt ready to hit the county’s roads, and if and when the county sees significant levels of snow, we have snow ploughs available to be fitted to our gritters, to help clear the roads.”
To view the gritting routes map and the grit bin locations map go to: worcestershire.gov.uk/gritting and to report any issues on the roads including with grit bins, visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/reportit
Drivers are also being urged to take extra care on more rural roads which may not be gritted.
Bin collections
Bromsgrove District Council urged residents to check bromsgrove.gov.uk and social media for the latest updates about its services as bin collections may change in the event of snow.
Because of the size of bin collection lorries, it could also be considered hazardous to send them out in extremely icy weather which may lead to changes.
A ‘severe weather emergency protocol’ could also be activated which relates to people sleeping rough and spaces opened to provide them with shelter.
Some weather experts have predicted the Troll of Trondheim could remain over the UK for ten days or more.
Advice on older people in the cold weather
AgeUK Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest said it knew people were worried about rising energy costs, but for older people in particular it was so important to keep warm.
The charity advises people to wear several layers of thinner clothing, rather than one thick layer, and try and keep the rooms they use most at a comfortable temperature (for example heat the living room during the day and your bedroom just before you go to bed).
Through the various national and district schemes, there is help and support available for those worried about the cost of switching on their heating on, so please do get in touch with the District Council, ourselves or one of the other local agencies to see how we can help.
An AgeUK BRWF spokesperson added: “With this cold weather warning, can I also take this opportunity appeal to everyone to check on older friends and neighbours to make sure that they have everything that they need, including food and their medication, as with the difficult weather conditions older people, in particular worry about going out – winter can be a very difficult, lonely and isolating time.”
