I popped out to do a few chores the other day and needed to stop off and fuel up.

By the time I’d filled up, paid and got back into the car I was decidedly chilly and realised it might have been sensible to pull on a jacket.

But it did mean when I took the dog out later I was fully togged out in a hat, coat and a big pair of fluffy gloves as protection from the icy wind. In other words, I sensibly responded to the cold weather by putting on more clothes.

So why am bothering to bore you with these weather details?

On the day in question, there was an Amber (no less) weather warning covering this part of Kent. This states travel should be avoided unless absolutely essential and advises people to think about changing their plans and taking action to protect themselves and members of their families.

How bloody ridiculous. Have we really reached a point where so-called experts are seriously suggesting that getting cold weather during the winter justifies people not to drive to work?

For the record, the mercury only dropped to 3 degrees – okay, my car helpfully bleeped a warning that the road could possibly be icy in some places, but surely no one will have changed their plans.

The automated warning from the car makes perfect sense, but this absurd colour-coded nonsense issued by the Met Office is pointless in the extreme. If anything, constantly chucking out superfluous, over-stated warnings has a detrimental effect as people become over-saturated and simply ignore them.

A few days later there was the mildest dusting of snow, which looked beautiful on the North Downs, but sadly the sun came out and within half an hour the white stuff had disappeared. On this occasion the warnings, which started with the Met Office, quickly spread to a string of motoring organisations, but were all issued after the snow had long gone.

I realise global warming means we don’t get the quantity of snow and ice we used to experience and it’s therefore something of a novelty to the current generation. I also understand we now live in a remarkably risk-adverse society but getting our wool-lined knickers in a twist every time the temperature drops anywhere near zero is crazy.

I also know there’s nothing we Brits like more than discussing the weather – all I ask is that we retain a modicum of sense and accept we’re incredibly lucky to live in a country with a diverse climate delivering a variety of hot and cold, dry and wet.