Suffolk County Council issued a public notice on 1 November 2023 stating that a new storm, Storm Ciarán, was set to bring a period of wet and windy weather to Suffolk overnight on Wednesday 1 November and throughout Thursday 2 November 20231. The council directed residents to the Met Office website for the latest weather warnings1.
The council set out how several services would be handled during the storm. Closures of the Orwell Bridge are authorised by National Highways, and the council pointed to the National Highways travel alerts page and the @HighwaysSEAST and @NationalHways feeds for late changes to closures and for national and South East information1. A list of known affected road locations is published on the council's roads affected by Storm Ciarán page, with further closure information on the One Network website and through Suffolk Highways on Twitter1.
On fallen or overhanging trees and hedges, the council asked that these be reported online through the Highways Reporting Tool, except in three cases: where the tree poses an immediate danger to public safety, in which case the number given is 0345 606 6171; where it is on a trunk road in Suffolk, in which case the Highways England Information Line is 0300 123 5000; and where it is on a private road1. On schools, the council stated that decisions about whether schools close are made by the schools themselves, and that parents should check with the school directly, with a school closures page also available1. For power cuts, the council gave the number 105 and the UK Power Networks power cuts page1.
"A new storm is set to bring a period of wet and windy weather to Suffolk overnight Wednesday 1st November and throughout Thursday 2nd November 2023."
Why it matters for households
The notice covers households across Suffolk, with the wet and windy period expected from the night of Wednesday 1 November into Thursday 2 November 20231. Travel on the Orwell Bridge and other roads may be affected by closures authorised by National Highways, and the council directs residents to its list of known affected locations and to National Highways for the latest information1. School opening on the day is a matter for each school, and the council advises checking with the school directly1. Households losing power are directed by the council to call 105 or use the UK Power Networks power cuts page1. For weather warnings themselves, the council directs residents to the Met Office1. The council also points to the Suffolk Resilience Forum's Suffolk Prepared pages, including its guidance on six things to prepare for an emergency1. General guidance on storms is available in the guide to storms and snow.
What happens next
The council's notice gives no further dated steps beyond the weather period of Wednesday 1 November overnight and Thursday 2 November 20231. It states that decisions on school closures rest with individual schools and directs residents to check with them directly1.
Sources (1)
- suffolk.gov.uk, suffolk.gov.uk
