John
11-29-2010, 05:29 PM
Nearly 700 motorists were left stranded overnight in freezing conditions in Scotland as the big chill tightened its grip.
What is thought to have been the largest rest centre ever set up in Scotland was organised to help 669 people stuck on roads around Perth.
Arctic temperatures and snow are continuing to cause disruption, mainly in Scotland and the North East, with more snow forecast for many parts of the country over the next couple of days.
There are warnings that temperatures could fall as low as -20C later this week.
Met Office severe weather warnings are in place across most of Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and the east of England.
Hundreds of schools are closed across the country - all schools in Dundee, West Lothian and Shetland are closed while across York and North Yorkshire, around 50 schools are shut.
In total, some 800 schools are closed in Scotland.
Some 135 schools in North Yorkshire have also been forced to ask pupils to stay at home with 78 schools shut in Cornwall.
Traffic in Scotland came to a standstill in heavy snow on the A90, M90 and A9, where cars broke down and lorries struggled with the ice.
Travellers said some people were stuck for nearly 12 hours.
Andy Fletcher, 32, heading to Edinburgh, found accommodation with friends in Perth after police closed the A9, one of the busiest roads in Scotland.
"The weather worsened in the dark and cars were clearly struggling to stay on the road, which was icing over," he said.
"We gave up and stopped in Perth but others weren't so lucky. I know of people who were stuck for 12 hours near Dundee."
The AA said there had been "unprecedented" demand for its services compared to a normal Monday in November, with around 12,400 calls for assistance, coming in at more than 2,100 every hour.
On the trains, the East Coast Main Line is facing delays. A revised timetable for journeys between London's King's Cross and Scotland and the north of England has been issued.
Speaking from Edinburgh, where 7in of snow has fallen, Sky's Rona Dougall said the city's airport was closed while around 3,000 homes in the Tayside and Perth areas were without power.
"Police say they have not seen anything like this in living memory," she said.
In London, any snow could pile on the misery for commuters already affected by the 24-hour Tube strike.
Forecasters are warning of more snow and freezing conditions in coming days, with London and the South set to get a dusting.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Heavy snow fall will continue for central and eastern Scotland and eastern parts of England.
"There will be some snow to the very South West and Northern Ireland. Elsewhere a mostly dry and bright day but very cold.
"Tonight a band of snow and cloud will move towards the South West giving a couple of centimetres of snow across the Midlands.
"The threat of snow continues again in the North East but the winds will pick up so areas such as the Midlands and East Wales will encounter snow as well."
The coldest place in the UK overnight was Altnaharra in northern Scotland, which recorded a low of -16.1C.
The mercury at Llysdinam near Llandrindod Wells in Wales plunged to -18C on Sunday, the UK's coldest November reading.
The UK's lowest ever recorded temperature in November was -23.3C recorded in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, on November 14, 1919.
Source - Yahoo News.
What is thought to have been the largest rest centre ever set up in Scotland was organised to help 669 people stuck on roads around Perth.
Arctic temperatures and snow are continuing to cause disruption, mainly in Scotland and the North East, with more snow forecast for many parts of the country over the next couple of days.
There are warnings that temperatures could fall as low as -20C later this week.
Met Office severe weather warnings are in place across most of Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and the east of England.
Hundreds of schools are closed across the country - all schools in Dundee, West Lothian and Shetland are closed while across York and North Yorkshire, around 50 schools are shut.
In total, some 800 schools are closed in Scotland.
Some 135 schools in North Yorkshire have also been forced to ask pupils to stay at home with 78 schools shut in Cornwall.
Traffic in Scotland came to a standstill in heavy snow on the A90, M90 and A9, where cars broke down and lorries struggled with the ice.
Travellers said some people were stuck for nearly 12 hours.
Andy Fletcher, 32, heading to Edinburgh, found accommodation with friends in Perth after police closed the A9, one of the busiest roads in Scotland.
"The weather worsened in the dark and cars were clearly struggling to stay on the road, which was icing over," he said.
"We gave up and stopped in Perth but others weren't so lucky. I know of people who were stuck for 12 hours near Dundee."
The AA said there had been "unprecedented" demand for its services compared to a normal Monday in November, with around 12,400 calls for assistance, coming in at more than 2,100 every hour.
On the trains, the East Coast Main Line is facing delays. A revised timetable for journeys between London's King's Cross and Scotland and the north of England has been issued.
Speaking from Edinburgh, where 7in of snow has fallen, Sky's Rona Dougall said the city's airport was closed while around 3,000 homes in the Tayside and Perth areas were without power.
"Police say they have not seen anything like this in living memory," she said.
In London, any snow could pile on the misery for commuters already affected by the 24-hour Tube strike.
Forecasters are warning of more snow and freezing conditions in coming days, with London and the South set to get a dusting.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Heavy snow fall will continue for central and eastern Scotland and eastern parts of England.
"There will be some snow to the very South West and Northern Ireland. Elsewhere a mostly dry and bright day but very cold.
"Tonight a band of snow and cloud will move towards the South West giving a couple of centimetres of snow across the Midlands.
"The threat of snow continues again in the North East but the winds will pick up so areas such as the Midlands and East Wales will encounter snow as well."
The coldest place in the UK overnight was Altnaharra in northern Scotland, which recorded a low of -16.1C.
The mercury at Llysdinam near Llandrindod Wells in Wales plunged to -18C on Sunday, the UK's coldest November reading.
The UK's lowest ever recorded temperature in November was -23.3C recorded in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, on November 14, 1919.
Source - Yahoo News.