Keith Brown: Time to get ready for winter

Keith Brown, Transport Minister. Picture: Michael Gillen

In the last two years most of us have been fortunate to have experienced relatively mild winters, although pockets of Scotland have experienced severe weather. The milder conditions however has meant Scots are now less worried about the ever present threat of severe weather.

The Ready for Winter? campaign is now in its fourth year, and reminds us how we can all take simple steps now to get ready in the home, before a journey, at our place of work and in our communities.

Being prepared in these key areas will serve us all well for being ready for any severe weather, be it snow, ice, flooding or high winds.

There are lots of easy things we can do, like making sure you have a blanket in the back seat of your car before a long journey, or ensuring an elderly neighbour has your contact details.

We can all do our little bit to make sure that everyone in our local community is ready now. Whilst extreme weather can happen at any time of the year, winter still remains the time of greatest risk.

This year we have again partnered with the British Red Cross and other voluntary organisations which do outstanding work in local communities’ right across Scotland, throughout the year.

Our Ready for Winter? team is visiting a number of different cities and towns during November to ensure the message is heard across the country.

The roadshow is offering practical information and guidance on preparing for all kinds of severe weather.

With an unpredictable few months ahead, we want to make sure the people of Scotland are equipped for whatever the weather may throw at us.

• Keith Brown MSP is the minister for transport and veterans in the Scottish Government