Drivers left stranded as they struggle to navigate icy roads & heavy snow during freezing cold snap
DRIVERS have been left stranded as they struggle to navigate icy roads and heavy snow in freezing cold conditions.
Brits have been battered by wintry weather and sub-zero temperatures with the mercury plunging to a bone-chilling -11C in some parts of the country.
Cops were deployed to rescue six cars that got stuck in ice with motorists left stranded on a dangerous mountain pass in Cumbria.
Cumbria Police sent officers to the perilous Wrynose Pass in the Lake District at around 1:05pm yesterday where the drivers were rescued and safely escorted down the single track mountain road.
An image taken from the scene showed two vehicles that had lost control and veered of the narrow path.
One motor was seen partially hovering above ground after the ice caused it to tilt on its side.
The mountain pass, which lies between the Duddon Valley and Little Langdale, was not the only area of Wales facing treacherous conditions this weekend.
Icy weather caused several other roads in the area to be closed off, including Hardknott Pass, Cold Fell and Birker Fell, Cumberland Council added.
Meanwhile, in Powys a car was seen on its side after it slid off the road after a blizzard hit the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The rest of the UK has also seen chaos on the roads.
Many routes had already been preemptively closed by local authorities, but stranded vehicles and collisions have caused disruption elsewhere.
People were seen pushing a stranded car in Bradford this morning after wintry conditions proved too strong.
And those travelling by car in Durham were pictured getting out of their vehicles after being stuck on the A1 Northbound due to heavy snow.
National Highways warned that up to 25cm of the white stuff could affect roads in northern England.
Stranded motors and collisions have left key roads in northern England closed.
Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.
The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while the A1 was closed southbound between the A639 North Elmsall and the A1(M)/A638 Doncaster in South Yorkshire due to a collision involving a car and and a HGV.
Traffic was stopped on the A1M southbound between J61 Bowburn and J60 Bishop Auckland in County Durham due to stranded vehicles on the carriageway before being released just before 10.30am.
Cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures, according to he UK Health Security Agency.
Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until January 8, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.
Met Office meteorologist, Greg Dewhurst, said in an update on this weekend’s weather that there continues to be a risk of heavy rain, snow and ice across many parts of the UK.
Advice for driving in cold weather
During the winter months, extreme weather conditions can make driving more difficult and potentially hazardous.
The RAC has plenty of tips and advice to help aid your winter driving and make your travels as safe and incident-free as possible this season.
There are some simple maintenance checks you can carry out on your vehicle to ensure it is well prepared for winter conditions.
The main checks the RAC advise are checking all of your lights and bulbs as well as a tyre health check, a check of your wiper blades and a few regular under the bonnet checks you can carry out too.
In some cases, by driving with snow on your car, you may in fact be breaking the law.
The lines of the law are to do with visibility, both the visibility of your car to other drivers and your own visibility looking out the windows when driving.
If either are obscured you could well be breaking the law and endangering your own life as well as the lives of others – not to mention be liable for a police fine if you’re caught.
The RAC has found that not everyone knows the laws around when and when not to use your fog lights.
In a nutshell they are recommended when visibility is reduced to 100 metres, but there is also a great deal more to consider.
He said: “Many parts of the UK [are] seeing warnings throughout this weekend. Snow and ice covering large parts of England and Wales, also northern parts of Scotland as well.
“As we head through Saturday and in to Sunday, we start to see significant snowfall across parts of England and Wales – perhaps up to 40cm over the higher ground [and] parts of northern England, the Pennines in particular.”
He said it was “worth keeping up to date with the forecast” as the information is likely to change through the weekend.
It comes as hundreds of Brit travellers heading abroad or returning to the UK have seen flights cancelled or massively delayed thanks to the deep freeze.
Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport closed a number of their runways this morning due to snow.
Birmingham Airport suspended operations for several hours overnight “for snow clearing and safety reasons” but said it was on schedule for “business as usual” to start the morning.
The Manchester Airport team said it was experiencing “heavy snow” but runways have since reopened.
Meanwhile, Leeds Bradford Airport’s runway will remain temporarily closed, despite hopes it would be reopened by midday.
Power outages across England and Wales have been reported by the National Grid and other power operators.
More than 1,000 homes currently affected across all of Wales and parts of southern and central England.
Met Office Five-day forecast
Today
Cold in the north, with snow and sleet spreading across northern England and into southern Scotland.
Wet further south, with freezing rain affecting parts of north Wales and central England, before turning drier and milder in the far south later.
Tonight
Unsettled with further snow across the north, and heavy rain spreading eastwards in the south.
Turning colder overnight, with snow returning to parts of England and Wales by Monday morning.
Monday
Rain and snow clears eastwards, with brighter skies to follow.
Staying cold in brisk northerly winds, with hail, sleet and snow showers expected throughout the day.
Gales in the northeast.
Tuesday to Thursday
Remaining cold with a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers, these most frequent in the north and northwest.
A more prolonged period of snow in the south on Wednesday.