Severe weather enforcement protocol

Visitor moorings at Ely Riverside 

The council will not issue Mooring Charge Notices (MCNs) at its visitor moorings in Ely in the event of extreme weather, which includes:

• thick fog and reduced visibility
• strong winds: boating is not advised when the wind strength exceeds Beaufort force 5 (19-24 mph, 17-21 knots, 40-50 kph) wind speed is often forecast as, for example, 20 mph gusting to 40 mph, the projected gusting level would make boating ill advised 
• sub-zero temperatures or when ice has formed on the surface of the river 
• extreme heat, including when advisory warnings have been issued to stay indoors 
• strong stream: it can be dangerous to move a boat if the river is flowing too fast  

The council will be made aware of the weather conditions listed above via the methods set out below, and the council will not issue MCNs covering periods when warnings are in place that may cause a risk to river users and/or council officers.

Relevant council officers have access to: 

• alerts from the Met Office's Hazard Manager, the Met Office App or Met Office website 
• access to the Met Office's Weather Warnings and the Beaufort wind scale  
• email alerts from the Met Office's Met Office Advisor (Civil Contingency, East and South East England  
• flood alerts from the Environment Agency 

There is currently no source of strong stream advisories for the Great Ouse between Earith and Denver, visibility of flow rate data, or instances of river icing.

In addition, Ely Riverside Officers will continually assess weather conditions whilst on patrol and will use their discretion to determine whether or not it is safe or appropriate for them or river users to issue an MCN.

Any periods when MCNs are not to be issued will, as soon as practicable, be published on this website, or other available and timely means of distribution.

The safety of all river users is the council's priority in its approach to the management of its mooring rules in extreme weather conditions, however, the council recognises that the ultimate responsibility has to be with the boat's skipper who should be aware of the limitations of the craft and its crew, and plan their itineraries with care, if extended periods of severe weather or flooding are likely.

Vessels must not use the visitor moorings if there is an active Flood Warning for the Postcode CB7 4AU, which covers the immediate riverside area including the moorings themselves.

Find out more about flooding.

In addition to not issuing MCNs in the circumstances above, when calculating the length of a stay occurring partly during severe weather, when resuming the issuing of MCNs Ely Riverside Officers will disregard:

• any period notified as involving the navigation risks listed above plus the following 2 hours 
• any contiguous period of darkness and early morning light until 8:15am