Community Alerts

Wednesday 11th January

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is advising all road users to take extra care when using the roads over the next 72 hours as Met Eireann has issued a yellow weather warning nationwide for sleet, snow and ice. Very cold wintry weather will develop from Wednesday evening and will last until midday on Saturday. There is a risk of 3-5cm snow nationwide with particularly heavy falls expected in Ulster, Connaught, North Leinster and West Munster. The low temperatures will mean roads may be icy.

The RSA is asking road users to check local weather and traffic conditions and be aware of the conditions before setting out on a trip.

The RSA has issued the following advice:

• Clear your windows and mirrors before you set out, carry a screen scraper and de-icer.  Do not use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.
• Remove ALL snow from your vehicle before commencing your journey. Snow left on the roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during braking, thereby causing sudden and severe restriction to your vision. It can also fall off during your drive and cause injury to pedestrians or a reflex action by another driver.
• In snow and icy conditions slow down, use all controls delicately and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front. Too much steering is bad and avoid harsh braking and harsh acceleration. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Select a low gear when travelling downhill especially if through bends.
• Remember that heavy snowfall and rain reduce visibility. Use dipped headlights and decrease speed smoothly.
• Do not drive on the tail-lights of the vehicle in front (Target Fixing). This can give a false sense of security and you will be too close to be able to brake safely. In heavy fog, turn off your radio and let down your driver’s window a fraction, so as you can hear other traffic.
• Watch out for “black ice.” If the road looks polished or glossy it could be, black ice” one of winter’s worst hazards: Black Ice is difficult to see! It is nearly transparent ice that often looks like a harmless puddle or is overlooked entirely. It can occur especially in sheltered / shaded areas on roads, under trees and adjacent to high walls.
• Watch out for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and allow extra space.
• The best thing to do in extremely bad weather is to stay off the road. Take heed of warnings not to go out and travel only if absolutely necessary. This leaves the emergency services free to deal with real emergencies instead of rounding up stranded motorists caught in snow.

Pedestrians and cyclists are advised to:

• While walking on footpaths and in public places, or entering and exiting your vehicle, DO NOT underestimate the danger of ice.
• Many slips and falls happen in places people regard as safe and secure, typically outside their front door, on the door step, on the path or while getting out of the car. It is very possible that a thin sheet of transparent ice or “Black Ice” is covering your pathway putting you at risk.
• When you approach a footpath or roadway that appears to be covered with ice, always use extreme caution.

Please also see our new severe weather warning videos created in collaboration with Teresa Mannion with advice for driving in snow and icy conditions here. Our severe weather advice video for driving on icy roads can be seen here. Our severe weather advice video for driving in snowy conditions can be seen here.

For advice on severe weather driving tips, please see severe weather advice on the RSA website or check out the RSA Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more weather updates, visit Met Eireann’s website www.met.ie

The following Weather Advisory has been issued by Met Éireann at 15:00 hours
Tuesday, 10-Jan-2017

Very cold wintry weather will develop from Wednesday night onwards.  Showers will turn wintry in many places, from Wednesday evening to Saturday, with falls of sleet and snow expected. The heaviest of the snow fall is most likely over Ulster, Connacht, north Leinster and west Munster and especially so on high ground.

Valid until 12:00 hours Sat, 14-Jan-2017

Please note that Waterford City and County Council Dog Pound, Bilberry, Waterford will operate limited opening hours on Thursday, 5th and Friday, 6th January, 2017.

For enquiries, please telephone 0761 10 20 20 or e-mail contact@waterfordcouncil.ie

The Pound will re-open on Saturday, 7th January, 2017 between the hours of 11am and 1pm. Waterford City and County Council regrets any inconvenience caused.

Wicklow Local Enterprise Office have welcomed Waterford LEO as a collaborative partner on the South Eastern Creative Corridor (SECC) initiative.

Wicklow Local Enterprise Office have welcomed Waterford LEO as a collaborative partner on the South Eastern Creative Corridor (SECC) initiative. This opens up the opportunity for 15 Waterford AV sector businesses to join the exciting programme of training, networking and events scheduled across the South East region in 2017.

The programme started last Friday 9th December in the Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny with an action packed Regional Bootcamp Event facilitated by a team of expert facilitators, designed to kick start the networking and goal setting for the first 54 regional businesses. Registration is still open at www.creativecorridor.ie  and relevant businesses from within the region are urged to take this opportunity to extend their network and grow their businesses through this development and investment programme.

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Members and staff of Waterford City & County Council extend sympathy to the McCarthy family upon the untimely death of WLRfm broadcaster Billy McCarthy.

A special programme to remember Billy McCarthy will be broadcast on WLR FM on Monday Nov 21st from 10am – midday and online via www.wlrfm.com http://www.wlrfm.com/shows/4-deise-am-with-billy-mccarthy/4375-wlr-fm-announces-the-death-of-waterford-s-favourite-broadcaster-billy-mccarthy.html

Halloween is just around the corner, a time for trick or treating and scary costumes. Many people aren’t aware that it is illegal to burn waste of any kind. Many materials burned contain chemicals which produce toxic fumes when burned. These toxins can last for a long time in our environment.

Waterford City and County Council’s Environment Enforcement Team have been following up on reports of waste being stored in gardens, derelict houses and on public spaces in order to avoid waste accumulating in the weeks coming up to Halloween. Waterford City and County Council will be removing any waste for bonfires that is accumulating on green areas or other public spaces. This will continue into Halloween night. If you are concerned about waste being stored in a nearby area, please report it to our Enforcement Team at 0761 10 2020. This is especially important in this week leading up to Halloween, as the waste that is accumulating in your area could be used to build a bonfire.

Please follow the following tips for a safe Halloween:

• DO report the storage or collection of bonfire materials by phoning Waterford City Council at 0761 10 2020
• DO act responsibly and dispose of your waste legally
• DO avail of Waterford City Council’s Bulky Goods Collection by ringing 0761102020
• DON’T leave out materials for use in bonfires
• DON’T leave your wheelie bin out overnight
• DON’T allow a bonfire in your local space – ring 0761 10 2020 to report any build up of materials
• DON’T encourage bonfires in any way
• DON’T allow your children to organise or be involved in bonfire

Please remember that bonfires are dangerous, they cause injury to children each year and cause damage to your environment.  Think before you light a bonfire; remember – do not burn tyres, waste or any other dangerous materials.

Waterford City and County Council are currently undertaking a traffic survey at various locations in Waterford city.

The equipment for this consists of a CCTV camera attached to a pole, with a battery pack in a black case at the base of the pole.

We would like to reassure the people who reported these to the Gardaí, they are not roadside bombs 🙂