John
11-30-2010, 07:40 PM
Britain's transport networks are being hit and hundreds of schools shut down as wintry weather sweeps south, blanketing the country in snow.
Almost every corner of the UK woke up to between 2cm and 10cm of snow this morning, with the East Coast worst hit by flurries and sub-zero temperatures.
The freezing conditions that have paralysed much of Scotland and the North East spread overnight to the Midlands before moving on towards the South East and London.
Severe weather warnings of heavy snowfall and widespread road ice have been issued by the Met Office across almost every part of the UK.
All airports are currently open but some flights are being delayed or cancelled. Sixteen flights have been cancelled at Gatwick Airport.
Train services all over the country have been badly affected by the severe weather, with some services not operating and others badly delayed.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said 70% of trains were arriving at their destination on time as at 1pm.
Temperatures in the north-west Highlands dropped to minus 15C (5F) last night, with the Met Office warning the mercury will barely rise above 0C (32F) for the rest of the day.
The relentless snowfall across Scotland means hundreds of schools are closed. In Derbyshire, more than 60 have shut.
In Nottinghamshire, more than 70 schools are closed and 42 in Cornwall have cancelled classes for the day as snow and ice causes disruption on roads.
Lincolnshire's east coast has been particularly hard hit, with around 60 schools closed and driving conditions described as hazardous.
A man was killed in Ruskington Fen, Lincs, yesterday when his Land Rover left the road in icy conditions and ended up in a ditch.
Last night police and a local farmer had to rescue about 60 vehicles stranded on the A153 near Louth.
In South Yorkshire, one man has died and two other men were injured in a three-vehicle collision on an exit slip road off the M18 motorway.
South Yorkshire Police said the crash happened when a recovery vehicle rolled into two other vehicles on the icy road.
And the predicted heavy snow showers in Kent are causing disruption on the roads and around 100 schools across the county are closed or due to close later today.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The snow saga continues for another day. This time most of the snow will affect south eastern parts of the UK.
"Across the outskirts of London, much of Kent and southern counties, we could see up to 12cm by the end of the day (4-8cm in London).
"We'll still see some snow in the North East but elsewhere a mostly dry and bright day but feeling bitterly cold in the strong north easterly winds.
"Those winds could push some snow to the South West and eastern fringes of Ireland.
"Some areas have had watery outbreaks rather than wintry but this still poses a problem overnight - as temperatures fall away, that surface water on roads and pavements will freeze over as ice."
Yesterday, thousands of motorists were hit by one of the worst days on Britain's roads, flights were cancelled and hundreds of schools were forced to close.
The AA said it was one of the busiest days in its 105-year history after it was called to more than 25,000 breakdowns.
And the RAC has had its busiest day today for 17 years, rescuing more than 55,000 drivers since the start of this cold snap.
The RAC said call-outs to breakdowns are currently peaking at 2,000 an hour, with the number of rescues in some badly-affected areas running at twice their levels for a normal Tuesday morning at this time of year.
Alan Wilcock, RAC patrol ambassador of the year, had some advice for motorists, explaining: "The sub-zero temperatures are putting a lot of pressure on car batteries.
"If possible the car should be kept in the garage, which will give extra protection from the cold weather.
"Additionally, when starting the car in the morning make sure everything is switched off - including fans, blowers and the radio - then put the key in the ignition and switch to the 'on' position for two to three seconds before starting the engine."
The current early spell of winter is due to an area of high pressure to the west of the UK, which is blocking our usual autumn weather pattern and instead pulling in cold air from the north.
Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson added: "Snow showers will continue for several days, but it is not just the snow people need to be aware of, it is the icy conditions too.
"Daytime temperatures will struggle to get above freezing for many this week, and it will feel even colder due to a significant wind chill, particularly in the South and East."
Source - Yahoo News.
Almost every corner of the UK woke up to between 2cm and 10cm of snow this morning, with the East Coast worst hit by flurries and sub-zero temperatures.
The freezing conditions that have paralysed much of Scotland and the North East spread overnight to the Midlands before moving on towards the South East and London.
Severe weather warnings of heavy snowfall and widespread road ice have been issued by the Met Office across almost every part of the UK.
All airports are currently open but some flights are being delayed or cancelled. Sixteen flights have been cancelled at Gatwick Airport.
Train services all over the country have been badly affected by the severe weather, with some services not operating and others badly delayed.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said 70% of trains were arriving at their destination on time as at 1pm.
Temperatures in the north-west Highlands dropped to minus 15C (5F) last night, with the Met Office warning the mercury will barely rise above 0C (32F) for the rest of the day.
The relentless snowfall across Scotland means hundreds of schools are closed. In Derbyshire, more than 60 have shut.
In Nottinghamshire, more than 70 schools are closed and 42 in Cornwall have cancelled classes for the day as snow and ice causes disruption on roads.
Lincolnshire's east coast has been particularly hard hit, with around 60 schools closed and driving conditions described as hazardous.
A man was killed in Ruskington Fen, Lincs, yesterday when his Land Rover left the road in icy conditions and ended up in a ditch.
Last night police and a local farmer had to rescue about 60 vehicles stranded on the A153 near Louth.
In South Yorkshire, one man has died and two other men were injured in a three-vehicle collision on an exit slip road off the M18 motorway.
South Yorkshire Police said the crash happened when a recovery vehicle rolled into two other vehicles on the icy road.
And the predicted heavy snow showers in Kent are causing disruption on the roads and around 100 schools across the county are closed or due to close later today.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The snow saga continues for another day. This time most of the snow will affect south eastern parts of the UK.
"Across the outskirts of London, much of Kent and southern counties, we could see up to 12cm by the end of the day (4-8cm in London).
"We'll still see some snow in the North East but elsewhere a mostly dry and bright day but feeling bitterly cold in the strong north easterly winds.
"Those winds could push some snow to the South West and eastern fringes of Ireland.
"Some areas have had watery outbreaks rather than wintry but this still poses a problem overnight - as temperatures fall away, that surface water on roads and pavements will freeze over as ice."
Yesterday, thousands of motorists were hit by one of the worst days on Britain's roads, flights were cancelled and hundreds of schools were forced to close.
The AA said it was one of the busiest days in its 105-year history after it was called to more than 25,000 breakdowns.
And the RAC has had its busiest day today for 17 years, rescuing more than 55,000 drivers since the start of this cold snap.
The RAC said call-outs to breakdowns are currently peaking at 2,000 an hour, with the number of rescues in some badly-affected areas running at twice their levels for a normal Tuesday morning at this time of year.
Alan Wilcock, RAC patrol ambassador of the year, had some advice for motorists, explaining: "The sub-zero temperatures are putting a lot of pressure on car batteries.
"If possible the car should be kept in the garage, which will give extra protection from the cold weather.
"Additionally, when starting the car in the morning make sure everything is switched off - including fans, blowers and the radio - then put the key in the ignition and switch to the 'on' position for two to three seconds before starting the engine."
The current early spell of winter is due to an area of high pressure to the west of the UK, which is blocking our usual autumn weather pattern and instead pulling in cold air from the north.
Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson added: "Snow showers will continue for several days, but it is not just the snow people need to be aware of, it is the icy conditions too.
"Daytime temperatures will struggle to get above freezing for many this week, and it will feel even colder due to a significant wind chill, particularly in the South and East."
Source - Yahoo News.