We might have had rather a lot of rain in the last few days, but colder weather will surely come, and BCP Council say they are ready for it.

Gritting teams are on standby until April, ready to react 24-hours a day when the temperatures drop.

With a fleet of 14 gritting vehicles and a stock of 2,800 tonnes of dry rock salt, the winter service looks after 780 miles of roads across the BCP region from the first frost.

The team also prepares 177 grit bins for residents to access in key locations.

During snowy and icy weather, the road temperatures are monitored by a series of weather stations across the region, which allows the council to grit roads only when it’s needed.

Priority is placed on clearing routes for buses and emergency vehicles and maintaining access to hospitals, schools, main roads and pavements in high footfall areas.

Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy said: “BCP Council’s staff are prepared and ready for any challenging weather this winter.

“Our highways teams often work through the night gritting main routes to make our roads safer for residents on their way to work or doing the school drop-off in the morning – and also allowing other essential services, including health and care teams, to continue to visit residents who need it the most.

“During long periods of cold weather, please check on elderly and vulnerable neighbours to ensure they’re keeping warm and safe. Wear warm clothes and footwear with a good grip if you need to get around. If you’re clearing your car or driveway from snow and ice, use a brush, salt or sand and not water, as this will just freeze.

“I’d like to thank all our council teams who go out whatever the weather to make sure everyone is safe across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. We are both weather ready and winter ready, and I’d encourage all our residents to prepare ahead of time so they’re all ready for the winter months as well.”