Some regions in the UK are predicted to experience more snow and ice, leading to potential travel disruptions on Monday.
The Met Office has released a cautionary notice for snow in north Wales, the West Midlands, and northern England from 6pm on Sunday until 12pm on Monday. A warning for snow and ice is also in effect for the central eastern portion of Scotland until noon on Monday.
According to the Met Office, there is a possibility of snow causing localized disturbance. This could result in roads and railways being impacted, leading to longer travel times for road, bus, and train services. Additionally, on Sunday and possibly part of Monday, there may be a mix of rain and snow in lower areas.
The Meteorological Office predicted that snow will primarily be limited to the elevated areas of northern and central Wales, as well as northern England. This could result in a build-up of 2-5cm on certain roads above 150m, and potentially 10-15cm on roads above 350m.
On Sunday, a snowstorm caused trees to fall and left about 7,000 homes and businesses in Cumbria without electricity. This also resulted in hundreds of stranded motorists. By evening, Electricity North West was able to restore power to all but 1,500 of the affected properties.
The operator of the power network stated that the main problem still remains to be access, and that even specially designed 4×4 vehicles are unable to reach all areas. In some places, repairs must be done on foot due to the lack of suitable equipment.
On Saturday, motorists in the Lake District were stranded in their vehicles due to heavy snowfall of up to 3 feet. This occurred during a peak time for visitors to the area.
According to Mike Margeson, a veteran mountain rescuer, his team collaborated with the police and firefighters to rescue individuals from their vehicles during the night. Margeson, who has over 40 years of experience, described the snowfall as an extremely rare occurrence that he hasn’t witnessed in a long time.
Many individuals sought safety in temporary shelters, such as schools, community centers, and government buildings, after leaving their cars in the midst of the blizzard. Karl Melville, the deputy director of highways for Cumberland County, reported that certain areas received 2-3 feet of snow.
Melville stated that due to people abandoning their cars, certain gritters belonging to the council were unable to operate for a period of three hours. He also mentioned that the snow was so intense that they had to manually dig in front of the gritters before being able to plow the road.
Hannah Smith and her family, along with her eight-year-old daughter and her friend, were forced to trek four miles through heavy snow after leaving their car behind while attempting to travel from Grasmere to Kendal. What should have been a 30-minute trip turned into a nine-hour ordeal, according to Smith.
Smith expressed concern for the large number of vehicles on the road, with some left behind and others still occupied by people. The possibility of vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly and young families, being stranded in their cars for more than eight hours in the cold and darkness was a cause for worry.
According to Sally Parkyn, the clerk for the town council of Windermere and Bowness, approximately 25 individuals and two dogs spent the night in Langstone House, the council’s chambers. One guest even slept on the mayor’s ceremonial throne.
“We had limited resources to provide for them – only hot beverages, cookies, and a heated space. We managed to get pillows for the four children. It was a challenging situation, but everyone gave their best effort,” she stated. “Some people may criticize the lack of readiness, but we haven’t experienced this amount of snow in years and the gritters and ploughs were diligently working.”
According to Parkyn, a family that traveled from Singapore to the council chambers was hoping to experience snow, but ended up getting much more than they expected.
In Grizebeck, the residents of the village hall were getting ready for a craft fair and a tractor run to collect funds for a good cause. However, due to a heavy snowstorm, they had to repurpose the building into an emergency shelter for the night.
Yvonne Graham, the manager of Grizebeck community hall, remarked on the unexpected snowfall in the morning, stating that it could have been beneficial for the craft fair. However, the amount of snow ended up being more significant than anticipated. Yvonne had to leave her car in the deep snow in Kirkby-in-Furness. She added that there was no prior warning, and it may take a couple of days for things to return to their usual state.
According to Lee Thomas, a member of the Grizebeck community hall committee, some drivers spent four and a half hours trying to travel a 15-minute stretch of road by Saturday evening. In the end, many people gave up and left their cars behind.
He reported that he has not witnessed such a heavy snowfall in this area for about eight or nine years. The amount of snow that accumulated in a short period of time was quite remarkable. The snowfall was constant and intense throughout the day, with no signs of stopping.
Source: theguardian.com
