All those who are unaccustomed to dealing with life-threatening aspects of severe cold should
remember to keep exposure to cold weather to a minimum. Frostbite is harmful and painful.
Hypothermia, or low body temperature, can be lethal, and it is particularly hard on infants and the
elderly. When the weather turns cold, don’t go outdoors unless you have to. If you must go
out, dress in layers and cover your ears, head and hands. Remember, high wind speeds
dramatically increase the effects of cold temperatures by increasing the “wind chill factor.”
 

Stock up on heating fuel and prepare emergency heating sources, such as fireplaces, wood stoves
and space heaters. (WARNING: Never burn charcoal briquettes indoors.)

Use extreme caution when operating a portable generator. Be sure to read the owner’s manu
first. Do NOT operate a generator indoors or in any confined space, exhaust fumes can be very
dangerous.
Remember the usual emergency supplies: a flashlight and batteries, a battery-powered radio, extra
non-perishable food and water, extra medicines and baby items, and first-aid supplies.

Top off the fuel tank in your car, check the antifreeze, and keep in mind that driving conditions
during the winter can become extremely hazardous due to icy roads and bridges.

Freezing temperatures can burst water pipes in homes that lack heat or proper insulation. Wrap
exposed pipes or take other measure to insulate them from the cold.

Prepare a place indoors for pets. Move farm animals to shelters and have extra feed and water
available.

Severe weather can be dangerous and challenging for any unprepared or inexperienced driver, even those transplants from colder climates who cut their teeth driving in this stuff. Drivers can minimize their risk by taking precautions. The first mistake people make is driving too fast to reach home/office before storm gets worse.

Anytime you turn, you have to slow down. If you’re driving on a straight stretch, you can go at a reasonable speed. Emphasis on “reasonable.” Slow, panicked drivers can create as many problems as the speeders.

CARS ON ICE

•  If you must travel in icy conditions, slow down and keep extra space between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Avoid putting yourself in a position in which you have to brake abruptly. Look ahead and anticipate problems instead of reacting to them. Learn to use your vehicle’s controls (steering, brakes, accelerator) in a smooth manner. 
• Conduct a pre-trip inspection. Check the antifreeze. Make sure you have proper tires. Be sure you have enough gas for each trip. Wipers must be in good shape to handle snow and ice. Remember to unstick them if they’re frozen to the windshield. 
• Know your brakes. With traditional brakes, pumping is effective, but lift your foot off the brake if you need to steer around an obstacle. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the brake pedal as hard as possible and hold it there to allow the computer to pump the brakes. 
• If you find yourself stranded, stay in your car, put on your flashers, call for help and wait until it arrives.
• Carry an emergency kit including jumper cables, ice scraper, snow brush, warm clothing, windshield washer solvent, working flashlight, orange triangles or flares, bag of abrasive material such as clay-based kitty litter or sand, first aid kit with extra bandages and, most importantly, a cellular telephone with charger cord.
• Remember that in a skid, you should let up on the brake or accelerator and look and steer in the direction you want the front of your vehicle to go.
• If you have an SUV or even a four-wheel drive vehicle, you will not be able to stop on ice any quicker than people in other automobiles.
• Slow down. Take your time. Give folks more room. Don’t drive in a way that causes others’ more problems. Use the brain that you were equipped with. People have had a grand total of zero crashes in this stuff if obey those rules.

Luckily recurring weather patterns do exist for most places and these can be identified from historical weather records (climate statistics) averaged over many years. Find the best month to travel to a particular destination based on the sort of weather you would like on your holiday.

Take the following into consideration while planning an Holiday trip:

Average Maximum Daytime Temperature gives a good indication of the highest temperatures to expect at the warmest time of the day for each month.

Maximum Daytime Temperatures are classified in the following ranges:

*Cool 8-14°C (46-58°F)
*Comfortable 14-22°C (58-72°F) — Beast suitable for Trekking and walks
*Warm 22-30°C (72-86°F)
*Hot 30-38°C (86-100°F)

Average Minimum Night-time Temperature gives a good indication of the lowest temperatures to expect during the night for each month. In some places it can become relatively cold at night for example at high elevations, and in desert areas. 12°C (54°F) to 15°C (59°F) is the comfortable temparature during nights.

Average Hours of Sunshine shows the average number of hours of bright sunshine per day for each month, rounded to the nearest hour. A further indication of good weather is the percentage of Daylight Hours with bright sunshine. Typically 11-14 hours of daylight hours is considered to be good.

Average Monthly Rainfall shows the average monthly rainfall in millimeters and inches for each month. High levels of rainfall do not necessarily indicate poor weather conditions. Many places in the tropics have high levels of rainfall and lots of sunshine as well. The Maldives, for example, has more than twice the rainfall of Manchester but also has more than twice the amount of sunshine.

Heat & Humidity gives an indication of average levels of discomfort caused by high temperatures combined with high humidity. High temperatures alone do not necessarily indicate how hot it ‘feels’, because high levels of humidity in the air also play a role. As the air temperature approaches body temperature (37°C / 98°F) in humid conditions, the body’s ability to cool itself by perspiring becomes impaired. The result is a feeling of discomfort. The higher the level of heat and humidity the more uncomfortable you are likely to feel.
Heat and Humidity is not an issue at temperatures below about 24°C (75°F), no matter how high the humidity.

UV Index (Maximum) gives an indication of how strong UV radiation may be under clear sky conditions around midday, i.e. noon. This shows the potential for skin damage through exposure to the sun at the most dangerous time of the day.

Average Sea Temperature shows average monthly sea-surface temperatures for each month rounded to the nearest degree. Because the sun also emits infra-red radiation, swimming in the sea in direct sun can help to improve the sensation of the cooler water temperatures. Temperatures are classified in the following ranges:
* Very cold and Dangerous : Less than 16°C
* Cool 18°C to 24°C (65°F to 75°F)
* Comfortable 24°C to 28°C (75°F to 82°F) — Best Suitable for Swimming
* Warm 28°C or more (82°F or more)

Wind strength is inversely proportional to the distance between isobars — the closer the lines, the stronger the winds. This rule does not apply in the tropics where the effect of the earth’s rotation is weak. For this reason, tropical meteorologists usually replace isobars with streamline arrows which indicate wind and direction without directly relating to the pressure gradient.

Shaded areas on weather maps show where there has been rain in the previous 24 hours, and wind direction is shown with arrows that have a series of barbs on their tails to indicate speed.