Thinking ahead and preparing for what the weather may bring can make a real difference at this time of year. WeatherReady is a campaign - run in partnership with Cabinet Office – to help you prepare for and cope with severe weather.
Every winter, tens of thousands of people die due to issues linked with cold weather.
The [Cold Weather Plan for England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cold-weather-plan-for-england) aims to prevent avoidable harm to health, by alerting people to the negative health effects of cold weather, and enabling them to prepare and respond appropriately.
The plan is published by Public Health England, but developed collaboratively in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Local Government Association and others including the voluntary and community sector.
Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council are both Category 1 Responders and are key partners of Wiltshire and Swindon Local Resilience Forum. They have a vital role to play during cold weather.
Both Councils have preparations in hand ready to face any severe weather this winter. Their meticulous preparations helped to mitigate the impacts of ‘The Beast from the East’ earlier this year, when both locations experienced heavy snowfall meaning that the areas were able to get back to business as usual pretty quickly.
Winter is nearly upon us and the LRF is keen that all communities are as prepared as possible in the event of bad weather. Many of the hazards communities face over the winter are weather related.
Few winters pass without some form of severe weather be that heavy rain and floods, cold spells with snow and ice or high winds. In most winters somewhere, sometime we will get them all.
Would you be at risk during a power cut? Your Distribution Network Operator is responsible for maintaining the substations and power lines that bring electricity to your home. They are separate from your electricity supplier.
People on the Priority Services Register get advanced notice of any planned interruptions to their electricity supply - allowing the householder to make any necessary preparations. They also get prioritised for re-connection if there is a power cut.
