Heatwaves, Hail, and Heavy Rain: Weather­proofing Your Event

Weatherproofing your event involves more than just hiring a marquee. It’s essential to consider your equipment: heatwaves can create dusty conditions and clogged machinery, while dark, rainy days increase the need for lighting towers, heaters, and generators. While having a fuel supplier on standby is beneficial, what do you do if a road is blocked due to severe weather and your fuel delivery can’t reach your site?

This is where fuel storage tanks become crucial. Although they may not be the first item that comes to mind when planning an event, fuel tanks are vital for success. Western Global has assisted countless events in powering through adverse weather conditions. We have put together this guide to help ensure your event goes ahead, regardless of the weather, and to provide the necessary equipment to support you.

How to Weatherproof Your Event

Proactive planning is essential to minimise disruption, protect equipment, and ensure the safety and comfort of attendees. Here’s how to get started.

Know the Lay of the Land

A well-planned site layout serves as your first line of defense against weather-related disruptions. Identify the areas most vulnerable to flooding, wind, or excessive sun, and position your equipment and machinery accordingly. Consider where you’ll:

• Store additional fuel and water for on-site refuelling
• Route cabling to avoid puddles and bottlenecks
• Conduct equipment repairs away from attendees for safety

Above-ground fuel tanks must be kept separate from public areas, buildings, and locations where large crowds gather, such as bars and stages. However, high-traffic areas often require more power. Transportable fuel tanks, like our TransCube Global, help you strike this balance effectively. They can be quickly repositioned if the weather takes a turn, allowing you to fuel multiple pieces of equipment with minimal disruption.

In addition, the TransCube can be safely stacked out of the way, helping keep walkways clear during dark, stormy weather.

Prepare for the Aftermath

While you can’t control the weather, you can certainly plan for it. Start by checking historical weather patterns for your location and evaluating potential flood zones. Ensure your infrastructure is equipped to handle both extreme heat and cold. Do you have adequate drainage to prevent waterlogging? Are there generators available to provide heating in case of an unexpected cold snap? Developing robust contingency plans, such as having spare generators and mobile refueling options, will give you the flexibility to respond quickly.

Western Global’s fuel tanks are designed to withstand extreme conditions, offering secure, weatherproof storage that keeps your event running smoothly, regardless of the weather. Our ABBI fuel bowser can be towed across soft, damp, or uneven terrain, while our TransCube can be easily forklifted directly onto the site. With rapid turnaround times and quick connections once on-site, you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way.

Power through the dark

During winter, daytime events can become dark by 4 PM, making spills and leaks on-site less visible and increasing the risk of accidents. Additionally, staff working on multi-day events may need to complete their tasks throughout the night, long after attendees have left the site. Making sure that they have the right equipment and conditions to finish their work is essential.

The increased demand for power necessitates an uninterrupted supply. Our fuel tanks can extend equipment runtimes from 24 hours to 7 days. Their bunded design ensures 110% containment, eliminating fuel drips, spills, and potential health and safety fines. Furthermore, the tanks feature lockable equipment cabinets that help reduce common safety issues and prevent rainwater from entering the tanks. This also keeps feed lines clear of clogs from frozen water.

Overall, Western Global fuel tanks provide a convenient, compliant solution that illuminates your event while ensuring a safe environment for everyone.

Combatting the heat

When the temperatures soar, so does the pressure. Demand for equipment and power sources accelerates to help keep things cool, while dust particles and queues for water bottles grow throughout the day.

Water bowsers keep both your site and equipment in working order, while ensuring your attendees stay hydrated throughout. Our drinking water bowsers provide fresh, clean water to your guests, reducing reliance on water bottles (and the deliveries needed to supply them) by installing reliable water dispensers. This also serves as a green initiative for your event, helping you meet sustainability goals and comply with environmental regulations.

And then, when the day is over, you can use our dust suppression bowsers to keep your site clean and prevent dust particles from clogging up essential equipment. Our water bowsers can be easily towed, maximising efficiency and keeping your site in top condition. On the plus side, sunny days can help turn your fuel tank into a self-sufficient refuelling station with the help of our 12V SolarPak Kit. Learn more about using solar to power your fuel tank pump here. An ideal solution when you’re working on remote event sites through the summer.

Weathering the storm

Weatherproofing your event isn’t just a matter of convenience; it’s essential to ensuring its success and compliance. Health and safety are fundamental aspects of all event planning tasks, and with extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent, taking precautions has become increasingly necessary. Be sure you follow government guidelines (found here and here) and promote a safety culture among your teams.

Whether you’re expecting beautiful sunshine or a total washout, Western Global’s fuel tanks and water bowsers are ready to contribute to the success of your event. Our rugged and reliable fuel tanks, along with water bowsers to help manage dust, have you covered. We even offer solar accessories to help you make the most of sunnier days and reduce emissions.

Contact our expert team today or read our Cheltenham Festival case study for more.