Where is my global warming – UK faces at least of wintery weather
Heavy snowfalls and ice will continue to cause widespread disruption as the big chill tightens its grip across the UK in the coming week, forecasters said today.
The freezing weather brought chaos yesterday as snow created treacherous driving conditions and caused a number of sporting events to be cancelled.
Northern England was deluged with up to 6cm of snow while heavy falls occurred in eastern Scotland with 9cm recorded lying on the ground in Edinburgh last night.
The Met Office warned of icy roads across the UK and heavy snow in Yorkshire, northeast England and parts of Scotland today.
The Arctic conditions are set to last for the first half of the month – with fresh snowfall, severe frosts and ice on the roads.
Last night the mercury plummeted to minus 17C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, as temperatures of minus 15C were predicted in parts of Scotland and Northern England over the next 10 days.
The transport network suffered under the strain of the freezing conditions as a number of rail lines closed in Scotland and more than 40 bumps and crashes were recorded on the roads.
An army of gritters have been working around the clock to keep the carriageways clear.
Motorists were warned of hazardous driving conditions as many people headed home after the long Christmas break.
Lancashire Police said a male passenger in a Citroen car died in a crash on the M55 motorway near Blackpool yesterday morning and a handful of third round FA Cup ties were called off.
In East Sussex, a teenage driver and a female passenger were seriously injured when their car hit a patch of ice and crashed into a tree on a country road.
A third teenager was also hurt when the black Peugeot 207 veered off the A26 at Boarshead, between Crowborough and Eridge, just before 11pm on Friday.
The Highways Agency said there had been 46 bumps and incidents on the road network across England by 4pm.
Six vehicles crashed in Greater Manchester on the M6 near Orrell shortly after 10.30am, causing long delays.
Poor driving conditions were reported on the M60, M602 and the M66. Snake Pass, which runs between Manchester and Sheffield, was also closed.
A Highways Agency spokesman said: “The very cold, wintry weather is making driving conditions difficult, particularly in the North West of England and we are focusing on keeping our network flowing as much as possible during this severe weather.
“Our winter fleet has been working flat out and will continue to treat the network as long as the cold weather continues.
“Our advice to drivers is to drive according to the conditions; and that even when roads are treated they should still be negotiated with care.”
The AA said that by 4pm it had dealt with more than 11,000 breakdowns. On a normal Saturday the AA would expect to be called to 8,000 breakdowns, a spokesman said.
Police closed two junctions on the M9 in Scotland after it was “inundated” with snow showers.
Drivers unable to continue with their journeys abandoned their cars, causing further problems on the road, a Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said.
In Dumfries and Galloway, the A701 Dumfries to Edinburgh Road from Moffat was also closed because of drifting snow, and traffic was diverted on to the A74, A702 and A701.
The north of Scotland was also affected by the weather, with a warning that the situation was likely to worsen by today.
The unclassified Kishorn to Applecross (Beal na Ba) road was shut due to snow, and most other roads were affected by snow and ice.
A Northern Constabulary spokesman said a number of minor collisions had already occurred due to slippery conditions and people should only travel when necessary.
Inverness Airport continued to be affected by intermittent snow falls and ice on the runway and was also closed.
Network Rail said two lines north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands had been closed due to the weather.
From Tuesday until next weekend heavy snow showers are expected in Scotland, the North of England, London and eastern England.
Brendan Jones, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It is going to be very, very cold across the country. Bar the odd coastal site temperatures will remain below freezing everywhere every night.
“Ice on pavements and roads will be a problem for the next 10 days. People should be prepared for the conditions because there is a limit to what gritting can do.
“Rain, sleet and snow will cause ice to form even when surfaces have already been gritted.”
Last month was the coldest December on average since 1996, MeteoGroup said.
Three people died after being caught in avalanches, three others were killed in a crash on a snowy stretch of motorway and a woman died after her car smashed into a pond as the cold snap tightened its grip.
Source: Daily Mail
According to the German N24 newsservice the German Weatherservice expecteds wintery weather until
the end of the month.
