Nottinghamshire County Council has already prepared for the winter ahead by stocking its salt barns with 18,000 tonnes of grit.

This is nearly 7,000 tonnes more than the nationally-recommended amount and enough to carry out four gritting runs every day, for three weeks.

The 2020-21 winter season saw 109 outings for the 30-strong fleet of gritters, using over 21,000 tonnes of salt. More than 101,000 miles were covered — similar to driving all the way around the world four times, reports the Newark Advertiser.

Neil Clarke, Chairman of the transport and environment committee, said: “We plan for winter all year round and we are in a strong position for dealing with the worst winter conditions thrown at us. We have large stockpiles of salt and the latest tracking systems on the county council’s gritting fleet, which means that all drivers will be able to drive any route — helping to keep the county on the move as we continue to recover from covid.”

High winds and gales are also common with seasonal storms and can result in fallen trees and branches blocking roads and pavements.

To help prevent this the council’s forestry team inspect every tree on the highway network throughout the year, carrying out routine pruning and identifying any diseased or weakened trees so remedial work can be completed.

Heavy, persistent rainfall during storms can also cause significant hazards. During the 2019/20 winter storms, the council’s team dealt with 734 different emergencies, used 5,000 sandbags, closed 162 roads and attended 231 tree related incidents.

Mr Clarke said: “Throughout the year, the council carries out an extensive programme of routine maintenance to both road drainage and trees, to help minimise disruption caused by winter weather. But when a major storm does occur, it’s all hands-on-deck and with more than 2,700 miles of road to look after in the county, it’s a round-the-clock job for our highways team.”