SOMERSET NEWS: Weather chaos sparks Major Incident by police

A MAJOR incident was declared in the Avon and Somerset area late on Thursday (March 1, 2018) following severe weather across the region. 

The declaration was requested by the Somerset Partnership NHS Trust, Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Musgrove Park Hospital and supported by South Western Ambulance Service, over concerns essential staff were unable to get to their place of work due to the snow.

Ch Supt Ian Wylie said: “A multi-agency response is now under way. We have well-rehearsed plans to deal with severe weather events and will do everything we can to keep people safe.

“We’ve experienced extreme weather conditions over the past few hours and there are continuing RED and AMBER Met Office weather warnings which will pose further challenges ahead.

“We expect the disruptive snowfall and icy conditions to continue overnight and we’re urging people to cancel their travel plans tomorrow morning and stay off the roads for all but essential travel.

“At the moment, we’re co-ordinating a rescue operation to help people stranded in their vehicles in multiple locations across Somerset, including around 100 vehicles stuck in snow on the A303 at Ilminster.

“This operation is being supported by a number of volunteers and voluntary agencies, including Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue, Exmoor Search and Rescue, Burnham Area Rescue Boat (which has 4x4 vehicles) and Wessex 4x4 Response, along with other emergency services and Her Majesty’s Coastguard.

“If you are stranded, please stay in your vehicle, call for assistance and wait for help to arrive. Don’t abandon your vehicle as it can hamper the efforts of emergency services.”

Keep up to date with the latest weather warnings on the Met Office website here .

You can check on incidents in the road network by checking the Highways England website here or check the latest road conditions in Somerset here .

Please only call 999 for genuine emergencies.  

In terms of the 101 non-emergency number, we would urge people to carefully consider whether their call needs a police response. Routine calls should, if possible, be delayed until the weather conditions improve, or you can contact us online here.

If you’re on social media, keep an eye on the following accounts: @ASPolice @HighwaysSWest @metoffice @TravelSomerset .

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