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BBC: UK snow: Ice warning as commuter disruption expected


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  • Management

UK snow: Amber warning issued across large parts of country

  • 10 December 2017
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Media captionA drone captured scenic views over Cefnpennar in north Wales

More snow is hitting the UK with an amber weather warning issued across large parts of the country.

The Met Office says there will be heavy snow across Wales, the Midlands, northern and eastern England, warning that rural areas could become "cut off".

It predicts around 10cm will fall, with up to 20cm on higher ground.

Warnings are also in place for snow in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and for high winds in the south.

Southern parts of England and Wales face heavy rain and gale force winds of up to 70mph (112km/h), the Met Office said, with icy surfaces likely to be an "additional hazard".

The amber warning for snow has been extended to cover Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex but areas such as Liverpool and South Yorkshire have been downgraded to a yellow "be aware" warning.

Temperatures are also likely to reach lows of -10C (14F) in some parts of Scotland and Wales, falling to as low as -14C (6.8F) in isolated rural areas.

Highways England has asked drivers to prepare for "any eventuality", making sure to have warm clothing, food, drink, required medications, boots, a shovel and a torch if venturing out.

Traffic Scotland also advised drivers to increase their stopping distances in the icy conditions and take a de-icer and scraper with them.

In the Midlands, many motorways are already covered in snow, with local police forces asking people to only travel if absolutely necessary.

In north Wales and the west Midlands, some hospitals have drafted in 4x4 drivers to get staff to and from work.

The British Red Cross has also been asked to help move blood supplies and other medical equipment in some areas.

Heavy snow and rain is causing disruption across the UK, with many drivers being affected.

  • On the M1 northbound, traffic has been at a standstill between junctions 16 and 17 after "numerous breakdowns/collisions"
  • Outside Warwick, the M40 is closed after a crash between junction 15 and 16 involving multiple vehicles
  • The A417 in Gloucestershire is closed in both directions between the A429 and A436 due to a number of separate collisions
  • And between the Welsh border and the A5 near Shrewsbury, the A458 in Shropshire is completely closed while police attend an accident there

National Rail has warned of travel disruption on both East Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways as a result of the snow and advised passengers to check before travelling.

It said South Western Railway services would be affected by delays and some routes would have speed restrictions in place.

There are delays of up to 60 minutes on trains between Birmingham New Street and London Marylebone with National Rail advising some services may be cancelled.

A bus replacement on the Cross Country service between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads has been cancelled because of adverse road conditions.

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Media captionA summary of the snow and ice risk warnings across the UK

There were delays to some flights at Manchester Airport on Saturday and it still advising passengers to check with their airline before travelling.

Passengers travelling to and from Belfast International, Belfast City and the City of Derry Airport in Northern Ireland have been advised to leave additional time for journeys.

Birmingham Airport has temporarily suspended flights so staff can clear snow from the runway and advises passengers to check its website for updates.

Elsewhere, Luton Airport has advised passengers to check before they travel as some flights are being delayed and cancelled.

Across the south west of England and Wales, more than 2,500 customers have been affected by power cuts due to snow or high winds.

On Saturday, Western Power Distribution said only a small proportion of their network was down due to the weather conditions.

Local events have also been affected by the weather, such as the final day of Lincoln Christmas market, which has been cancelled over safety concerns.

Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Santa and an elf tackle the snow in Buxton, Derbyshire
Image copyright PA
Image caption In the Brecon Beacons, families enjoyed sledging down the hills
Image copyright PA
Image caption The snow led to picturesque scenes in Ironbridge, Shropshire
Image copyright Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
Image caption Working conditions have been difficult for wind farm workers travelling between Stronelairg and Melgarve in Scotland
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption And the Edward Carson statue in Belfast was barely visible through the snow

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  • Management

UK snow: Ice warning as commuter disruption expected

  • 12 December 2017
A snow-covered carImage copyright AFP
Image caption Days of snowfall in Wales left some people to abandon cars on the side of the road

Icy conditions are expected to cause further disruption to road and rail travel in parts of the UK, following another night of sub-zero temperatures.

The Met Office has extended yellow warnings for snow and ice until 11:00 GMT and the AA warned driving could be "hazardous".

Hundreds of schools are to stay closed for a second successive day.

Temperatures were forecast to hit -15C (5F) on Monday night, making it the coldest night of the year.

The Met Office's warning covers Wales, parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and much of England - including the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, London, the South East, East, South West and North West.

It said: "There will probably be icy stretches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths with some injuries possible from slips and falls.

"Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with some journey times taking longer."

Image copyright Met Office
Image caption The Met Office's yellow weather warning for snow and ice on Tuesday

AA president Edmund King said: "We expect Tuesday to be extremely busy as temperatures plummet overnight, causing even more hazardous conditions on already wet and slippery roads."

It had its busiest day of the year on Monday, with around 25,000 calls from motorists.

More than 350 schools in the West Midlands and about 180 schools in Wales have said they will shut.

On Monday, more than 1,000 schools were closed - about 600 of which were in Wales.

The deep freeze also left thousands without power.

National Rail is telling travellers to check with train operators before heading out following a day of delays.

Chiltern Railways, Arriva Trains Wales, Cross Country, East Midlands Trains, Great Western Railway, Thameslink, Virgin Trains and the West Midlands rail network were all affected.

Eurotunnel said services were running with delays due to "extreme weather conditions", after passengers departing from Calais faced waits of five hours on Monday night.

A low of -11.6C (11F) was recorded on Sunday night in Chillingham Barns, Northumberland, although Saturday was the coldest night of the year so far, reaching -12.4C.

Forecasters said temperatures will slowly warm during Tuesday but freezing fog patches are expected to linger in areas.

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Media captionBBC forecaster Philip Avery says temperatures will plunge below zero overnight

Heathrow Airport in London is telling passengers not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled, after crews and aircraft were left out of position by the weather.

Meanwhile, services have resumed at the Port of Calais, which closed for a few hours on Monday afternoon.

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