Miracle Ewan Josiah Historical study England 2009

Winter wonderland or woe

Winter weather forces schools to close
On Monday February 2nd 2009 the South East of England was hit by snow. I know this is not unusual in
many parts of the world, but it was interesting to watch the whole region grind to a virtual standstill. At
the time of writing this article the major London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and London City were
all closed. Stansted airport had been closed but has just had one runway reopened. Travel chaos has
ensued, the M25 is closed in many places and many schools throughout the country have been closed

School Closures
The dramatic change in weather has meant that a number of areas
experiencing transport problems. This means that many schools across the
country have been closed.

County Closed This table shows the number of

South East schools reported closed. It is
Essex 250+ interesting to note that although the
Hertfordshire 100+ snow was no heavier in the South East
Middlesex 80+ of England, one of the eastern
Sussex 50+ counties has reported more than 250
North of its schools are closed.
Greater Manchester 100
Lancashire 70 This gave the children lots time to
Cumbria 34 play in the snow, snowballing, making
Durham 70 snowmen and snow angels. The snow
Northumberland 33 gave an added dimension, producing
some very picturesque scenes, many
Yorkshire 1
captured on camera.

The United States government offered lots of advice about preparing for lots of snow. This advice and
more details can be found in community centres or on their website at http://www.ready.gov/winter-
weather. There are a number of free publications that can be ordered from their website and are free for
US citizens. These are sent within 6 weeks on being ordered, or can be downloaded direct from their
website. The United Kingdom government did not offer similar advice to its citizens. The advice from
the United States is to prepare for a winter storm by doing the following:

1. Before winter approaches, add the following supplies to

your emergency kit:
 Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice
on walkways.
 Sand to improve traction.
 Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
 Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home
and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply
of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning
stove.
 Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.

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Miracle Ewan Josiah Historical study England 2009

2. Make a Family Communications Plan. Minimize travel. If travel is

necessary, keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle.
3. Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather. Move
other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen
drinking water.

1)

Temperatures recorded at one weather station in Ross-on-Wye during the

week read:
Maximum minimum

2nd Feb 3 -1
3rd Feb 5 -3
4th Feb 5 -3
5th Feb 2 -1
6th Feb 2 -1
7th Feb 5 -3

8th Feb 4 -2

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