UK weather: Lows of -9.8C recorded yesterday, Met Office reveals – as warnings remain in place
Motorists have been urged to drive safely as police said they have been dealing with a “lot of accidents” in icy conditions on the roads.
Surrey Police issued the warning as the Met Office said ice will affect many areas this morning, meaning it’s “worth leaving extra time for any journeys that you have planned”.
The national weather service added on Twitter that many places will see some “winter sunshine” after a “frosty start” to the day.
Wintry showers can be expected in areas exposed to the brisk northwesterly wind and there will be snow in places.
Surrey Police wrote on Twitter: “This is snow joke, baby it’s cold out there. Please take care on the roads, the gritters are out and about but we are dealing with a lot of accidents at the moment.”
Yesterday morning was the coldest of the year so far with “plenty of wintry hazards around during the day”.
The temperature plummeted as low as -9.8C in the village of Topcliffe in North Yorkshire.
Yellow weather warnings covering much of the west of England and large parts of Wales will be in place until midday today – and “snow showers and icy stretches may cause some disruption”.
A yellow weather warning covering the south of England will be in place until 10am, and “ice is likely to cause difficult driving conditions”.
Much of Northern Ireland and northern Scotland are also covered by yellow warnings.
The Met Office has said further weather warnings for snow and ice are likely to be issued for tonight.
Forecasters have warned temperatures could stay below average into next week in parts of the UK as the cold spell continues.
Drivers have been urged to be careful after dozens of people were injured following a crash involving a double-decker bus and a motorcycle in “treacherous” freezing conditions in Somerset on Tuesday.
A major incident was declared and the A39 Quantock Road in Bridgwater was closed with police, fire and ambulance units remaining on the scene into the afternoon.
NHS Somerset said 27 patients were taken to a minor injuries unit while another 26 were taken to the emergency department at Musgrove Hospital for injuries consistent with a “serious traffic collision”.
A “small number” of those injured were left needing surgery, the service said.
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Screams heard from overturned bus
The Met Office said it expects milder air to start moving in from Friday afternoon in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Spokesman Oli Claydon said: “That will slowly spread across the rest of the UK. Southeast England will hold onto colder temperatures for longer.”
The County Councils Network, which represents 36 county and unitary district councils in England, said more than 2,000 warm spaces remain open as temperatures drop and people look for somewhere to keep warm amid the cost of living crisis.
The Met Office recorded the coldest night of last year on the night of 12 to 13 December when temperatures plunged to -15.7C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, during a cold snap.
The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.
They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.
It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.
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Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.
A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.
David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.
A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.
The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.
The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.
Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.
A map showing the location of the crash near Llanbrynmair and Talerddig in Powys
The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.
An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.
The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.
The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.
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Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.
The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.
As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.
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In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.
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