Hundreds of schools have been closed and there has been major travel disruption after heavy snow fell in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England.
Some 130 schools were shut in Scotland and a similar number in Northern Ireland. Another 40 were closed in Cumbria, 38 in Lancashire and 28 in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
Main roads in Durham, Yorkshire and north Wales were among those closed because of the weather, while more than a dozen rail services between Manchester and York were cancelled.
David Cameron has asked for updates on the unfolding disruption and the measures being taken to keep transport systems and energy supplies running.
In a message on Twitter, the Prime Minister said: “The gritters are out and people should listen to warnings.”
Flights to and from Manchester Airport were suspended this morning, although the airport re-opened around 1.30pm. Delays are likely and passengers have been told to check with their airline before setting out.
The Met Office said the disruption was caused in part by “thundersnow storms” north of Manchester. These are thunderstorms with snow instead of rain.
Sky News forecaster Isobel Lang said conditions would improve slightly as the day wore on but snow and strong winds would still make driving dangerous and travelling a challenge in some parts.
She added: “During this evening and tonight the showers will ease, it will turn slightly less cold, with the showers turning more to sleet or rain later. It may still be icy.”
Cold blasts from Greenland and Iceland will cause temperatures to drop to around 2-3C (36-37F) in the North and 4-5C (39-41F) in the South. It will become slightly milder by Friday, reaching 7C (45F) in the South.
The Met Office has issued an amber “be prepared” warning for snow, covering large parts of Britain from Liverpool Bay to the Humber and the western side of the Welsh mountains.
The snow was deepest in Scotland, with 23cm at Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire. Elsewhere, there was 21cm at Glenanne in Armagh and 13cm in Spadeadam in Cumbria.
Darron Burness, head of the AA’s severe weather team, said motorists should prepare by clearing snow and ice from car windows, lights and the roof before driving.
“The wind will also make it feel bitterly cold, so at the very least take lots of warm layers, fully-charged mobile, road atlas, and make sure your car has at least a quarter of a tank of fuel in case of unexpected delays,” he said.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams added: “The message to drivers is to plan ahead – perform some quick and easy checks on the condition of your vehicle, such as tyres and windscreen wipers, as soon as possible.”
Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events at Public Health England, said people should wear lots of thin layers of clothing and shoes with good slip-resistant grip when going outside.
She also encouraged people to check on friends and family, especially the elderly, very young or those with health conditions.
An Arctic blast is also expected to bring a fresh wave of snow and freezing temperatures over the weekend.
The Met Office has issued snow warnings for then, predicting snow in the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, and spreading down both sides of the UK on Sunday, hitting western Wales, southwest England, East Anglia and the east coast of England.
Source Article from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thundersnow-storms-battering-britain-084356155.html
'Thundersnow' Storms As Icy Blast Hits UK
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