Forecasters warn of travel disruption and power outages as band of severe icy weather moves in from east,One of the last nights of 2017 was also one of the coldest as temperatures reached as low as -12.C (9.8F) on Thursday night, with forecasts of heavy snow, as well as ice and strong winds, for much of the UK on Friday.
The lowest temperature was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, while most parts of the UK dipped below freezing, leaving widespread ice a potential hazard as the country got moving on Friday morning. The disruption came early in Scotland, where snow forced the closure of Glasgow airport.
Met Office forecasters warned that some rural areas in England could find themselves cut off on Friday morning and put in place amber snow warnings from York in the east, and across the Pennines to Burnley and Rochdale in the west. It also extended south, beyond Huddersfield and Barnsley, to include the Peak District.
“Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers. Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely,” the Met office said. “There is a possibility that some rural communities could become temporarily cut off. Power cuts may also occur.”
Mountain rescue teams were on high alert for deployment across West Yorkshire. Blizzards made for treacherous driving conditions on some of the region’s busiest roads. Parts of the M62 were shrouded in snow by late morning, causing visibility problems particularly around Rishworth Moor in West Yorkshire – the highest point of any motorway in England.
Police posted a picture of a 4x4 that appeared to have spun out of control and careered into a grass bank on that often-difficult stretch of the motorway, along with a warning to motorists to slow down.
The wintry conditions also brought traffic to a standstill in parts of Flintshire, north Wales, where frustrated drivers complained of long tailbacks on the A55, the region’s busiest road that is dubbed “the North Wales Expressway”.
The most northerly parts of Scotland, as well as all of south-eastern and central England, were also issued the less severe yellow warnings of ice, while all of northern England and all of Scotland south of Aberdeen were issued similarly severe warnings of snow.
South-western England was expecting high winds; all of Northern Ireland was told to prepare for snow and ice.
The heaviest snowfall of 5-10cm was expected in parts of northern England and up to 15cm over higher ground. The snow affected flights at Glasgow airport, which was closed on Friday morning, though staff were working to reopen the runway.
The wind is expected to bring “potent, heavy showers with a chance of hail and thunder” as the system moves east.
“Gusts of 45-50mph are likely quite widely in and near these showers, with 60mph gusts in places and close to 70mph at times in the most exposed coastal locations,” the Met Office said.
The Met Office forecaster Charles Powell said there could be some “pretty nasty travel conditions. It is a band of severe weather. Weather warnings are in force. There is going to be disruption in some shape or form.”
source :
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/29/britain-braced-heavy-snow-coldest-night-year