Surrey county Council has announced a team of 50 farmers will help clear Surrey's roads if snow falls this winter. The farmers have been recruited to help clear snow using their tractors and ploughs in an effort to minimise disruption in rural areas.

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Last December, the UK experienced the earliest widespread snowfall since 1993, causing heavy disruption, though this year no snow is forecast until January, the furthest ahead the Met Office makes predictions.

Following the bad weather in 2010, Surrey County Council announced at the start of the month that it had doubled the amount of gritters in its fleet in preparation for bad weather conditions over the coming winter.

Last winter, snow caused serious disruptions in the South west; London commuters and people travelling to and from the busy airports serving the capital. In Scotland, farmers and local authorities in the Highlands united to clear snow in remote parts of the country in order to ensure enough feed could be delivered for livestock.