Five things to do before snow storm hits as power cut warnings issued | Weather | News

Brits have been urged to do five things before a 15-hour snow storm hits the UK. As many as 13 cities could face power cuts during the weather event, set to take place today and tomorrow (Monday, November 18 – Tuesday, November 19).

Households have been warned that an Arctic blast could bring disruption across various areas of England, Scotland and Wales. This may affect not only power supplies, but also travel.

The Met Office issued a 15-hour yellow weather warning for ice and snow, starting at 7pm this evening and continuing through to 10am on Tuesday. In Scotland, the warning is already in place, having come into force from 4pm yesterday (Sunday, November 17).

“An area of snow may bring disruption to a central swathe of the UK during Monday night and Tuesday morning,” the forecaster said. “There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.”

The Met Office also stressed there was a “slight chance” some rural communities across the country “could become cut off.”

If you are in one of the areas potentially threatened by the oncoming deluge, a TikToker has issued some advice about how you can prepare for a potential power cut. Sal Farzin, who posts to the social network as Simply Sal Finds, shared five tips to “help you get through a winter storm.”

“Make sure to fully charge your laptop in case of a power outage so you can easily charge your phone,” he recommended. It is worth ensuring you have a cable that connects your laptop to your phone before the snow begins.

Secondly, he recommended investing in a “battery backup bulb” that “comes on if the power goes out” without needing to be connected to the main power supply. If you can’t find a backup bulb at short notice, you should ensure you have a few torches and fresh batteries to ensure they don’t run out of energy midway through the power cut.

Candles can also be a good source of light with some added heat, but they do present an added fire risk, so it is important to be careful when using them.

Thirdly, “if the power goes out and you need heat, these mylar blankets will provide up to 90% insulation to keep your body safe from extreme cold.” If you don’t have a mylar blanket – as these are uncommon in the UK – but want to keep warm, you can use a battery-operated electric blanket or layer up jumpers.

Sal also recommends you “make sure to pop fresh batteries in your carbon monoxide detector, since most people turn up the heat and close windows during the winter.”

“Lastly, make sure to remove hoses and cover outside faucets [taps] to prevent pipes from bursting,” he concluded.

Some 13 major English cities fall under the warning, including Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Stoke, Chester, Lincoln, Derby, York, Durham and Hull.

But other areas, including Bangor in North Wales, Carlisle on the North West coast and Middlesbrough, as well as the whole of Yorkshire, will be affected by the yellow weather warning.

The Met Office warned those in the affected areas: “People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.

“Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”