People should build snowmen to prevent big thaw causing flooding, says Environment Agency
I read an article last week which suggested the Durham Constabulary were prepared to arrest people throwing snowballs. Now we the Environment Agency is encouraging us for flood risk reasons to build snowmwen!
The bizarre advice comes as weather experts predict a sudden thaw causing torrential rain and melting snow when temperatures swing from -13C to 13C over the weekend.
The Environment Agency said Britons could help slow the rate of the sudden thaw by building snowmen in their gardens and on driveways.
Spokesman Roy Stokes said the compacted snow and ice in snowmen will melt more slowly than snow on the ground meaning there is less surface water come the time of a thaw.
He said: “Ideally if everybody built themselves a snowman that will slow the thaw down a bit.
“If you notice when people clear their drive the snow thaws away but the compacted piles stay which will give a balanced thaw, which would be helpful.