On Jan 18, 4:40*pm, Tom Bennett wrote:
On Jan 18, 2:47*pm, "Keith (Southend)G"
wrote:
Summit in Essex to discuss harsh winters
A conference on the harsh winter and its impact on the UK's transport
network is to be held in Essex.
The Snow Summit will provide a forum for discussion on how to deal
with similar conditions in the future, Essex County Council said.
Local authorities and other interested parties across the UK will
attend the talks in March, a spokesman added.
Representatives from Scandinavian countries will visit to explain how
they cope with regular severe weather.
It will be the first Snow Summit to be held by the county council
Keith (Southend)
Rearrange these words: *The stable horse has bolted the door after
closing.
Or is Essex CC now getting its long-range forecast from somewhere
other than the UKMO? *They're heavily into outsourcing ATM. :-)
- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
The UKMO and Devon County Council have for years taken part in an
every other year international conference on winter road weather:
SIRWEC - Standing International Road WEather Conference. I've been to
a few myself. Experiences of many countries on winter road maintenace,
Scandinavia countries included, have been shared. Devon has for over
25 years had an array of about 30 road weather stations across a large
and topographically varied county. Cold spots can be monitored and
data inputted into a surface climate numerical model. 'Open Road' is
the UKMO forecasting facility. Other counties also have road weather
stations, albeit rather fewer (Essex has 7), and take advice.
http://www.trafficweather.info/Index...e/Index.action
Whether all this money spent on winter road maintenance systems is
worth it is up for discussion. Litigation for accidents on untreated
roads is always a worry, but the models and road weather stations
supposedly help to make sure salt is used only when necessary.
Snow always presents extra problems. The Haldon Hill/Telegraph Hill in
Devon is a classic.
It is a bit amusing that Essex CC has rather belatedly decided to ask
others about their winter coping mechanisms.
Devon CC got into bed with the Scandinavians ages ago. :-)
Len Wood
Wembury, SW Devon