Overview of my week
This week our thoughts are with those in Cumbria experiencing devastating flooding following Storm Desmond. An Environment Agency report released on Wednesday states that in November 75% of hydrological areas were above the long term average. In London, whilst there are no flood warnings in place soils are wetter than usual for this time of year.
The headline event of this week was the Local Resilience Forum Chairs meeting bringing together colleagues from across the country to share information. The focus of the event was on the future of resilience, the Sendai Framework, cyber risk and flooding. Take a look at tweets from the event.
On Thursday I attended the London Health Resilience Partnership (LHRP), which links health organisations (NHS, London Ambulance Service and Public Health England) and the wider London Resilience Forum. I was interested to hear updates on their risk assessment process as well as an update on the Stay Well This Winter campaign.
Whilst we all might have experienced power cuts or mobile phone signal issues from time to time, our Utility Sector Panel met on Thursday bringing together water, electricity, gas and telecommunications providers to plan for widespread disruptions to their services. Older people, those with medical conditions or other dependencies are able to sign up to your provider’s Priority Services Register for additional support in an emergency.
Weather and Environment
The weather remains rather unsettled over the next few days with rain or drizzle at times.
Give yourself time to prepare if any disruptive weather occurs by signing up for Met Office weather information straight to your mobile device.
In the last 54 years, there's been a White Christmas 38 times. Find out what the Met Office think about the chances of a WhiteChristmas this year?
Flooding update
There are no flood alerts or warnings in place for the London area.
The Live EA Flood Warnings Map has up-to-date information on river and tidal flooding.
Air quality update
Air pollution levels are forecast to be low across London and the UK.
Health
If you celebrate the festive season with an alcoholic drink, follow the advice to Eat, Drink and Be Safe from London’s Emergency Services. By eating before going out, drinking sensibly and planning ahead for a safe journey home, it’s possible to eliminate many risks associated with alcohol misuse. Here’s some information from the London Ambulance Service about the campaign.
Transport
This week there’s planned part closures on sections of the London Overground. For full details of all Transport for London services, see the TfL website. In addition, here is the travel advice for the festive season.
If you’re making a Christmas getaway, take a look at the latest travel information from London Heathrow and London City Airport.
Security and Counter Terrorism
There are no changes to the threat levels. The threat level from International terrorism is Severe, and Northern Ireland-related terrorism to Great Britain remains at Moderate.
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