UK weather: Blizzards and 50mph winds to bring ‘treacherous conditions’ – with almost all of UK to be hit by snow or rain
Blizzards are set to cause “treacherous conditions” in the UK on Thursday night and Friday morning – with winds of up to 50mph and up to 40cm of snow expected in some areas.
The Met Office has issued three amber warnings for northern England, the Midlands, North Wales and Northern Ireland, where “significant disruption” to transport and power supplies are expected as Storm Larisa continues to batter the country.
Three yellow weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued for several regions of the UK tomorrow from 4am until 10am – including parts of the Midlands, southeast and southwest England and South Wales.
The Met Office has warned that two to four centimetres of snow is likely in parts of Wales and on higher ground such as the Cotswolds.
Icy surfaces are also likely to develop, it warns, and areas of “mainly light” snow and ice could cause disruption to travel.
The cold spell has already caused travel disruption and snow closures, with some schools confirming they will be shut on Friday due to the Arctic conditions.
Further disruption is expected across Ireland on Friday as severe snowfall and ice continue to hamper commuters in their travels – with hundreds of people in Cork and dozens in Northern Ireland also left without power on Thursday night.
A man and his dog go for a walk in Slievethoul, Co Dublin
Sheep graze in a show covered field near Oundle, Northamptonshire
‘Atrocious travel conditions’
On Thursday evening, the Met Office warned that heavy snow and strong winds could cause blizzards and “atrocious travel conditions” in some areas of the UK.
It said 10 to 20cm of snow could fall in parts of northern England and Wales covered by an amber warning tonight and tomorrow morning, while Northern Ireland could see four to eight centimetres.
Meteorologist Alex Deakin said rural communities could get cut off and significant disruption is likely in amber warning areas.
Friday will begin with widespread snow and rain in the early hours, covering central England and Wales, but the weather is set to clear as the day progresses.
Scattered snow showers will remain in Scotland alongside light rain in South East England.
Pic: Cheshire East Council Highways
‘Gusts of 50mph’ and ‘treacherous conditions’
Another Met Office meteorologist, Alex Burkill, said that a pocket of western Scotland covering Glasgow and the county of Argyll could be the only region untouched by heavy rain and snow over the next day or so.
He warned that the worst of the weather is expected in northwest Wales and northern England, where “gusts of easily 50mph” are on a collision course with “30 to 40cm of snow”.
Drone captures amazing shots of snowy Yorkshire Dales
Mr Burkill continued: “The combination of heavy snow and gales is why we’re likely to see blizzards and drifting snow which causes extra hazards on the roads.
“In places covered by amber warnings, there will be very difficult, treacherous conditions.
“Ideally avoid travelling in those periods – but if you have to head out then be aware that journeys could take significantly longer.”
Thursday night temperatures will be similar to Wednesday, which was the coldest night of the year, before even chillier conditions set in on Friday night.
Mr Burkill said that areas of the Highlands could see -17C, following this year’s record low of -16C, which was recorded at Altnaharra in the region.
Met Office forecasters also said this was the lowest March temperature seen in the UK since 2010, when -18.6C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
Travel warnings
National Highways issued a “severe weather alert” for snow across the North East, North West and Midlands regions until 8am on Friday, with motorists being warned not to drive unless absolutely necessary.
A snowy motorway
Meanwhile, the RAC said on Thursday morning that there had been 50% more breakdowns than usual in areas affected by snow, with some drivers stuck in the snow in areas of South Yorkshire and Wales.
East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire has temporarily closed its runway due to the weather “following a period of heavy snowfall”, a statement said.
Heavy snow cover houses in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire
When will the cold snap end?
Although the weekend will be milder for a lot of the UK, a yellow snow and ice warning is in place for northern England and a large part of Scotland from 3pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.
Meteorologist Mr Deakin said next week could bring a “continued battleground” between colder conditions and milder air pushing in from the Atlantic.
He added there will be “colder interludes” and the “potential for further snow” next week.
School closures
A number of schools across the country have announced they are closing on Friday following the Met Office warnings.
Flintshire County Council in North Wales announced that all of its schools will be shut on 10 March – as a large part of North Wales is currently covered by an amber Met Office warning, with 10 to 20cm of snow likely.
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Snow piling up across parts of the country
At least five schools in the Welsh county of Wrexham have announced via Twitter that they will be closed on Friday.
While Sheffield Council has so far announced 10 providers will also be closed.
Schools in Birmingham and Wolverhampton have also let parents know about school closures via social media.
You can find out whether a school is shut using your postcode here.
A workman saved a seven-year-old boy from a burning car in the aftermath of a deadly crash caused by a suicidal ex-pilot, an inquest has heard.
The schoolboy’s rescue came following the collision on the M6, which killed former RAF man Richard Woods and four others, in October last year.
Last week a coroner ruled that Woods, 40, took his own life by deliberately driving his Skoda the wrong way down the motorway while drunk and hitting a Toyota Yaris head-on.
The driver of the Toyota, Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, was also killed, along with his two sons, Filip, 15, and Dominic, seven, and his partner Jade McEnroe, 33.
Cockermouth Coroner’s Court heard on Thursday that Ms McEnroe’s son was also in the car but survived after workman Gavin Walsh came to his rescue at the scene, which was near Tebay services in Cumbria.
In a statement to the inquest, Mr Walsh said he was a passenger in a transit van travelling to Scotland when he witnessed the crash.
He jumped out of the vehicle and used a jack to smash the rear windscreen of the Toyota and pulled the boy out of the burning vehicle.
Mr Walsh said: “We really did try, I can assure everyone we did our best. We only had minimal time.
“I saved a life that day and I hope never to witness anything like that again.”
He added that he has never stopped thinking about the boy, and said: “I hope we will meet again one day and I will give you a massive hug.”
At the time, the family were returning to Glasgow from a trip to Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire.
The inquest heard that Wood, who was travelling at a speed of at least 65mph, would have been charged with manslaughter had he survived.
Recording conclusions of unlawful killing, Cumbria assistant coroner Margaret Taylor said: “I found that Jaroslaw, Jade, Filip and Dominic died as a consequence of the unlawful acts of another driver.”
The inquest heard how Mr Woods, from Cambridgeshire, had served a distinguished 14-year career in the RAF and was a flight instructor for BAE Systems at the time of his death.
Jade McEnroe. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
Dominic and Filip. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
In Ms Taylor’s record of inquest, Mr Woods was said to have been experiencing “a number of stressors in his life” and had a “history of harmful use of alcohol”.
Following the crash, he was found to be nearly four times over the legal drink-drive limit and a two-thirds empty bottle of gin was found in his car.
On the day of his death, concerns had been raised over his behaviour at a work conference near Preston in Lancashire.
Mr Woods failed to return to his seat after lunch and was later spotted driving erratically and swerving across three northbound carriageway lanes on the M6.
After pulling onto the hard shoulder, he then proceeded to U-turn and drove southward on lane three.
Filip, Dominic and Jaroslaw Rossa. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
Detective Sergeant Deborah Story, from Cumbria Police, told the inquest that Mr Woods would have been prosecuted on four counts of manslaughter had he lived.
She said hypothetical charges of murder were considered by detectives but not thought appropriate because of a lack of information that Mr Woods knew the family or anything that provided a link between them.
Ms McEnroe’s parents, Marie McEnroe and George McNellis, told the coroner they thought it was “murder”.
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A statement from the mother of Filip and Dominic, and the ex-wife of Mr Rossa, Kamila, was read out at the inquest.
She said Mr Rossa, known as Jarek, was born in Poland where they became a couple and went on to have three boys.
He loved playing computer games and had “lots of friends”, she said, and worked at the Wagamama restaurant in Silverburn, Glasgow.
She said she was “devastated” over the deaths, adding: “Our lives will never be the same.
“I am heartbroken at the passing of my beloved angels Filip and Dominic.”
Marie McEnroe said her daughter, a spa therapist, had been in a relationship with Mr Rossa for about two-and-a-half years.
She said Jade had been a “brilliant mother” to her only child, was “really happy” with Mr Rossa and it was “lovely chaos” when all the boys were playing together.
Ms McEnroe added: “Life changed forever that day”.
Ms Taylor praised the “selfless acts of bravery” from those in the aftermath of the collision, including Mr Walsh, who she said went towards the burning car “without hesitation for his own safety”.
The coroner added: “Without his swift response, Jade’s child would also have perished.”
Addressing the bereaved family members, she said: “Your loss is unimaginable but you have conducted yourself with dignity and I thank you for that. I wish you strength for the future.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
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