WEATHER THE STORM WITH HONDA

Ongoing bad weather across the UK has plunged homes and businesses into chaos as gale force winds and torrential rain swept across the country in recent weeks. At its worst, reports stated tens of thousands of people were left without electricity and, whilst the clean-up has started, some homes and businesses across the country still find themselves without power.

With forecasters at the Met Office predicting a marked change to much colder weather over the next week, we can expect a stark contrast to the recent mild weather with temperatures plummeting and widespread frosts.

Snow will become the main focus of concern, with a risk of disruption over eastern and northern parts of the UK but while weather forecasts are becoming ever more accurate, it is still very difficult to predict the detailed difference in weather at a local level and, despite warnings, the effect of extreme weather can take everyone by complete surprise.

So, with the prediction of more unsettled weather over the coming weeks, how can the public protect itself from the stress and inconvenience caused by severe weather, power cuts and floods? And how can small businesses ensure that they can keep functioning without electricity?

With simple forward planning, it's easy to equip your home or business with the essential tools to overcome any potential disasters caused by the weather. Emergency power, if researched well, is totally reliable and Honda's comprehensive range of generators provides a ready-made ‘portable power station' that means life needn't be so dramatically disrupted.

Capable of sustaining a company's entire IT system or running a vast range of household appliances, Honda's pioneering EU range makes use of clever inverter technology that passes power through a special microprocessor to ‘smooth' the output. Creating power that's purer than the National Grid, these generators allow even the most sensitive technical equipment to perform safely and reliably. Light, compact and exceptionally quiet, Honda's EU generators produce only 52db – a noise level equivalent to that of a normal office.

For those at risk of possible future flooding, Honda's handy-sized water pumps are another vital piece of equipment. The most portable Honda water pump, the WX10, weighs under 7kg and can move130 litres of water per minute. Featuring a mini Honda 4-stroke engine that has the highest torque and best fuel efficiency of any comparable engine, it benefits from being incredibly quiet.

“All of us take electricity for granted but, with weather conditions becoming progressively unpredictable, the possibility of more and more homes and businesses across the UK being left without power is an increasingly stark reality,” said James Tidy from Tidyco Limited

“It's easy to see why at times like this small businesses and homes in high risk areas are starting to invest in emergency power. In the past two months alone we have seen an increase in the number of generators and water pumps sold.”

Whilst severe weather, powercuts and flooding inevitably cause disruption, some simple forward planning could make dealing with such situations significantly easier to overcome.

For further details on Honda's entire generator range visit the Honda generator section.