Advice on how cold weather may affect services

With snow forecast for this evening and overnight, combined with continued cold winter weather, we're providing helpful advice on different services and hints and tips on staying warm and safe. Please encourage your friends and family to sign up to Stay Connected e-alerts to get the latest updates on a variety of topics.

Stay up to date with the weather forecast for Southampton here and follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.

Schools 

In the event of severe weather, keep updated on all school closures here.

Travel advice

Please plan any journeys carefully during winter weather.

We will be gritting priority one routes and will monitor weather forecasts and conditions to determine if further gritting is needed. Though we cannot grit all roads, we have established priority routes to treat if required. This includes the main access routes for the city and access for Southampton General Hospital. Our focus will be on keeping these roads passable. 

You can learn more about routes and local road maintenance in the winter on the gritting and snow clearance page. There are also details relating to gritting bins that residents can use to clear footpaths. We prioritise the gritting and clearance of main access footway routes and those with heavy pedestrian movement in times of prolonged severe weather. However, there is no guarantee that these routes will be kept clear of slippery conditions. Over 300 grit bins are strategically located throughout the city solely for use on public roads and footways and should not be removed for private use. Visit our website to find out where your nearest gritting bin is. The bins were all filled at the beginning of the year, however should you find an empty bin then you can request for it to be filled via our website.

You can see real-time views of traffic cameras via ROMANSE. 

Householders can find information about vehicles and snow safety in the Met Office's Snow Code.  

For real-time information on road conditions please follow @scchighways on Twitter.

Waste and recycling

If the snow settles we may have to temporarily cease our collections of waste and recycling and other services - such as commercial waste, clinical waste and garden waste collections - until conditions allow us to safely use collection vehicles once more. Should this happen then please bear with us, we will resume our normal collections and collect all missed bins as soon as possible.

The Household Waste and Recycling Centre 

The Household Waste and Recycling Centre at First Avenue, Southampton is expected to remain open for normal hours. We will update this page and our social media accounts if the situation changes. If you’re planning a visit you can beat the queues by checking out the live webcam (scroll to City Depot Southampton). 

Concerns about rough sleepers

Southampton City Council, working with Two Saints, Society of St James and the Salvation Army, has beds available for rough sleepers during the cold winter weather. Outreach and out of hours staff are available to encourage rough sleepers to take up this offer . The team also works to help people into longer term accommodation solutions and to enrol them on support programmes.

If you have any concerns over someone sleeping on the streets, then you should report these to our Street Homelessness Team direct by emailing streethomeless@southampton.gov.uk 

City Care Meals on Wheels

If you are an existing customer and are concerned that your meal has not been delivered during the usual delivery period (Mon-Fri, 11.30-15.30), please call 023 8083 3866.

Your health and care

Cold weather can affect your health. For the majority of people, taking a few simple precautions and following guidance from the NHS will ensure that they are safe and warm during cold weather. However, some people may be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke, flu, falls or other ailments. The cold weather can also be dangerous for the elderly, people with long term health conditions, pregnant women and young children.

Learn more from the NHS Website about keeping well in winter.

If you start to feel unwell, even if it's a cough or cold, don't wait until it gets more serious. Seek advice from your pharmacist.

Care providers may need to change the timing of their visits because of the weather or transport difficulties. You should contact your care provider first if you have any concerns. The council’s Adult Social Care Connect service is available for advice and support.

Follow these tips on keeping well in the cold:

• Wear several layers of clothes rather than one chunky layer – clothes made from cotton, wool or fleecy fibres help to maintain body heat.
• Use a hot water bottle or electric blanket to keep warm in bed – but don't use both at the same time.
• Have at least one hot meal a day – eating regularly helps keep you warm; and make sure you have hot drinks regularly.
• Try not to sit still for more than an hour or so indoors – get up and stretch your legs.
• Stay active – even moderate exercise can help keep you warm.
• Wrap a scarf loosely around your mouth when outdoors – add a hat and wear shoes with a good grip, too. If you have a heart or respiratory problem, stay indoors during very cold weather.
• Remember, some people who are considered to be at most risk can get a flu jab free on the NHS.

Check up on relatives and vulnerable neighbours

It's really helpful to look in on relatives, older neighbours and those with heart or respiratory (breathing) problems, who might be more vulnerable to the cold, to make sure they:

• Are safe and well
• Are warm enough - especially overnight
• Have stocks of food and medicines, so they don't need to go out during very cold weather

If you're worried about a relative or elderly neighbour, contact NHS 111, or freephone the Age UK helpline on 0800 678 1174 (8am-7pm every day) or visit their website for advice.

If you're concerned that the person may be suffering from hypothermia, contact NHS 111.

Follow these tips to keep you and your family warm and well at home:

• If you're not very mobile, are 65 or over, or have a health condition, such as heart or lung disease, heat your home to at least 18C (65F).
• Keep your bedroom at 18C all night if you can – and keep the bedroom window closed.
• During the day you may prefer your living room to be slightly warmer than 18c.
• To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), babies should sleep in rooms heated to between 16c and 20c.
• If you're under 65, healthy and active, you can safely have your home cooler than 18c, if you're comfortable.
• Draw curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to block out draughts.
• Get your heating system checked regularly by a qualified professional.

Heating your home

If you are worried about keeping your home warm this winter you can contact Southampton Healthy Homes for support and guidance. If you would like to find out more about the service, or would like to refer a family member, neighbour or client, you can contact the Environment Centre (tEC) on Freephone 0800 804 8601 (Mon-Fri 9-5) or email keepwarm@environmentcentre.com.

They also provide an Affordable Warmth Checklist and Keep Warm and Well Advice.

You may be able to claim financial and practical help with heating your home. Grants available include the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment.

The Energy Saving Trust has advice on how to reduce bills and make your home more energy efficient. They can also advise on grants and schemes available around the UK.

Find out more online from the Energy Saving Trust or call 0300 123 1234 (9am-8pm Monday through Friday).