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UK weather: Travel warnings as further heavy snow hits UK

Posted on 28/02/2018 by

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Heavy snow across the UK has caused major disruption to roads, railways and air travel.

Police warned drivers to avoid the roads as emergency services dealt with crashes and stranded motorists.

Hundreds of schools have been closed after overnight temperatures dropped to almost -12C (11F) in some areas.

Amber warnings - meaning potential risk to life and property - are in place, covering Scotland, northern and eastern England, and the East Midlands.

Scotland's transport minister has warned they could be upgraded to red later in the week - meaning extreme weather is expected.

A number of flights have been cancelled and rail operators have warned disruption will continue throughout Wednesday.

Rural communities could also be cut off as power cuts and mobile phone network interruptions are expected.

As many as 400 schools in Scotland have shut their doors, with hundreds more closing in England - including in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex and Yorkshire - and some 25 closures in Wales.

Airports including London City, Glasgow and Newcastle have suspended flights as they work to clear snow from their runways. More than 100 flights at Heathrow have been cancelled.

National Rail is also warning that services could face major disruption, with the Stansted Express already cancelled between Liverpool Street and Bishop's Stortford, and Virgin Trains' route between Carlisle and Scotland closed with no replacement bus services.

Hospitals in Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Goole have cancelled all outpatient appointmentsbecause of the weather, while Harrogate Hospital has asked staff who can walk to work to go in to cover shifts.

In other travel developments:

  • British Airways says flights are likely to be affected throughout the week and warns that for "several hours during the worst of the weather" on Wednesday, flights will be reduced "proactively" at Heathrow
  • Gatwick Airport says it is running without delays, but has asked passengers to check with airlines before travelling
  • Some flights out of Edinburgh have been cancelled
  • The M1 is closed southbound at J8, near Hemel Hempstead, because of a serious collision
  • A lorry has jack-knifed on the A1 in the north east, with the road closed southbound near junction 52, between Scotch Corner and Catterick
  • A lorry has also come off the road on the A90 at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire
  • A number of other roads across the UK have been affected so check your local BBC website for updates

Other disruption includes:

  • Chatham Ski and Snowboard Centre in Gillingham, Kent, has been forced to close because of the heavy snow
  • The University of Glasgow and Glasgow School of Art are shut due to the weather
  • The Scottish Premiership has postponed its games for Wednesday night and Doncaster Racecourse has cancelled its meeting on Friday
  • Bin collections have been suspended across Essex

The Met Office has issued an amber warning - meaning widespread damage, travel and power disruption is likely - for parts of Scotland and the north of England.

It has predicted up to 10cm (4in) of snow between 10:15 GMT on Wednesday and 18:00 on Thursday - although it could be as much as 40cm (15in) over hills.

The East Midlands, the east and Yorkshire and Humber are also subject to an amber warning, with up to 15cm (6 inches) of snow predicted to fall between 10:40 and 16:00 on Wednesday.

Another amber warning is in place across the south of England, Wales and the West Midlands between 12:00 on Thursday and 08:00 Friday, predicting up to 20cm of snow - reaching 50cm over parts of Dartmoor and Exmoor.

A less severe yellow warning for snow is in place for parts of Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland, the south-west and south-east England, the West Midlands, East Midlands and London until 23:55 GMT.

 

Freezing temperatures

The UK is experiencing what is predicted to be the coldest week of the winter in five years.

The lowest temperature recorded overnight was -11.7C in South Farnborough, Hampshire.

Other particularly cold spots were Cairnwell, in Scotland, Ravensworth, in North Yorkshire, and Frittenden in Kent.

 

Treacherous conditions

On Tuesday three people died following a crash in Lincolnshire while one man died in a crash in Cambridgeshire, amid warnings of treacherous conditions on roads.

In the early hours of Wednesday, a crash between a car and motorcycle on the M3 in Surrey left one person seriously injured.

From Thursday, the Siberian system is set to meet with Storm Emma, with forecasters predicting more snow, gales and sleet.

How has the cold weather affected you? Share your pictures, video and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

Source: BBCNews 

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