A wintry blast left roads in parts of Britain with up to six inches of snow by the end of the day, as temperatures dropped to -4C (25F) and the country was hit by a blizzard and freezing cold Was.
got from office Said the greatest accumulation of snow would be on higher ground in northern England and Scotland, where elsewhere the mud would freeze and form icy patches on untreated roads, sidewalks and paths.
In Glasgow this morning a school bus collided with a truck blocking Bearhead Road, leaving abandoned vehicles on the way. Eyewitness Andrew Watson, who tweeted photos of the incident, said there were no casualties, but added: ‘Vehicles abandoned on the road. No police, no council, complete chaos. Somebody’s going to get hurt.
Local SNP MP Kirsten Oswald said she was talking to Police Scotland about the accident, which occurred at around 8.45am, while East Renfrewshire Council confirmed that officers had reported her team.
Drivers using motorways around Glasgow including the M8, M74 and M77 as well as minor roads also faced chaos with lorries stuck in snow, blocking roads and complaining on Twitter that no grit was to be seen. could.
Meanwhile train passengers on Scotland services faced disruption on top of an already short timetable because of a COVID-related staff shortage – with signaling systems malfunctioning in both Inverness and Glasgow.
Further south there was a five-mile delay on the M6 near Wigan in Greater Manchester, when the section of motorway between the 26 for Aurel and the 27 for Standish was closed at around 6.30 am after a major accident.
The weather warning from the Midlands to the top of Scotland will remain in place until noon amid ‘Snow, Hail and Hail’ alerts, but the south of England is set to become dry and mild, reaching 10C (50F) in places. ,
Today, the country will witness continuous rain accompanied by winds along with rising temperatures, while isolated thunderstorms are also likely to occur in some coastal areas.
Tomorrow, wet and windy weather will spread to all parts of the UK, with the potential for heavy rain in many areas as well as very strong winds – where a sudden large increase in wind speed can lead to violent situations.
Sunshine and scattered rain will replace rain in the western regions in the afternoon, but Sunday is expected to bring better weather for most – except in some western parts of the UK.
It follows seven days of topsy-turvy temperatures, setting Britain’s hottest New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on record, with 15.8C (60.4F) and 16.3C (61.3F) respectively . ), but also England’s coldest night. It has been winter in North Yorkshire on Wednesday with temperatures dropping to -8C (18F).
A school bus collided with a truck blocking Bearhead Road in Glasgow today, leaving vehicles on the way
This morning’s commuters drive on the icy M8 in West Lothian as they face treacherous conditions
A postman makes a delivery this morning after fresh snowfall on Peniston in Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Commuters struggle while driving on snowy and icy roads in Harthill, West Lothian this morning
Sisters Maja-Storm, eight, and Summer-Rene, four, play in the snow this morning in Whitburn, West Lothian
Drive on a 4×4 steep country lane in Holmforth, West Yorkshire after more snow fell in the Holm Valley tonight
Lorry driver Mick Moore said he had an ‘amusing morning’ today, stuck in the snow in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester
Cars approach the A635 cautiously this morning after snow fell overnight in Holmforth, West Yorkshire
A road in Glasgow is covered with snow this morning after the Met Office issued a weather warning for much of Scotland
A gritter walks along the A635 in Holmforth, West Yorkshire this morning, after more snow has fallen overnight
Cars drive on a snow-covered road in Glasgow this morning amid constant sleet, hail and snow warnings
A road in Glasgow is covered with snow this morning after the Met Office issued a weather warning for much of Scotland
Meteorological Department meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘The weather is changing throughout the year and will continue through the weekend and during Saturday there will be more clouds and rain as well as strong winds.
‘If you want something a little drier and brighter, Sunday is a good day for many dry and somewhat sunny days.’
Meteorological Department’s weather warning continues till today afternoon
Yesterday, thick frost created spectacular winter scenes in parks and countryside across the country, and snow in the North and Midlands meant the unusually mild temperatures on New Years were long forgotten.
The Met Office issued a weather warning for snow and ice in the western part of Scotland and northern England until this afternoon.
Between 330 feet (100 m) and 660 feet (200 m) of rain 2 inches (5 cm) and 4 inches (10 cm) high on the ground with snow and a maximum of 6 inches (15 cm) of rain to continue this morning Was expected.
Forecasters at lower levels said falling snow would cause mud on the ground that could freeze and cause ‘icy patches’ that could result in dangerous conditions on roads, sidewalks and paths.
The warning said: ‘Winds will move around the region with heavy rain and there is a risk of lightning with isolated thunderstorms in some coastal districts.’
Meteorological Department meteorologist Anne Shuttleworth said temperatures in the icy northern regions were also very low last night, possibly up to -4C (25F), but won’t beat last night’s low figure.
She said the pattern would be more ‘snow, sleet and sleet’, especially in north-west England. He said more rain is expected on Saturday but “things will lighten up a bit and the rain will wash away the snow below.”
Snow will continue to fall in northern England and Scotland this morning (left), and will rain in the afternoon (right)
Tomorrow it will be raining heavily over most of the UK, although it will be warm (left), while it will be more settled for most of Sunday (right).
However, snowfall may occur in some higher reaches. The Meteorological Department has indicated that the temperature is likely to remain ‘slightly above average’ till the end of the month, but there is a possibility of cold for some time.
In Scotland, winter sports enthusiasts are taking advantage of the snow that has fallen and allowing ski resorts to open – including the Glenshee Snowsports Center in Cairnwell, Aberdeenshire.
Snow cannons were operating during a Wednesday night at Lech 2090 Ski Center north of Bremer, and with roads on either side of the pass, three of the 13 lifts were able to open, with snow ‘thin on the top’. ‘ was said. ,
But further north, high winds and driving snow closed off access to the Cairngorm Mountains near Avimore in the Highlands. The Nevis Range, the country’s northernmost resort, said it was closed due to strong winds.
It follows Britain’s hottest New Year’s Day ever last Saturday when St James’s Park in London recorded 16.3C (61.3F), surpassing the previous record of 15.6C (60.1F) in Bude, Cornwall. crossed. The defeat was decided more than a century ago, in 1916.
And it comes after the country’s mildest New Year’s Eve on record last Friday when Maryfield in Somerset soared to 15.8C (60.4F), up from 14.8C (58.6F) in Colwyn Bay, North Wales in 2011 . Had to beat the high level.