Bitter cold snap continues by Kirsty McCabe
Wintry conditions and the risk of travel disruption continue across the UK as we go through the first week of spring.
Heavy snow and ice caused problems in Yorkshire on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. There have been numerous accidents and several schools in Leeds and the surrounding area were closed on Wednesday with the city of Leeds itself at a standstill. The problems weren’t just confined to Yorkshire. In Scotland yesterday, up to 30 vehicles were involved in an accident on the M8 near Livingston, as the road here was badly affected by snow and ice. Snow showers continued to affect northern and eastern parts of Scotland on Wednesday, with many schools closed. The wintry weather has also taken its toll on sporting events, with the horse racing at both Folkestone and Southwell abandoned due to snow.
I expect the wintry conditions will continue to cause problems today, especially across eastern parts of the UK. In fact, the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for heavy snow across northeast England, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, parts of the Midlands and southeast England, with ice an additional hazard. Frequent and heavy snow showers are also edging into east Wales and parts of southwest England, and could also cause travel disruption in these areas.
The snow is beginning to accumulate in places to the south and east of London and we could see around 5 to 10 cm in rural areas, especially over the hills. During this evening’s rush hour the snow could cause widespread disruption for much of southeast England, from the northern home counties to Kent. The northeasterly winds will also strengthen during this afternoon and by tonight gusts of 40 to 50 mph may cause drifting in places.
Elsewhere in Europe there has been a bitter cold snap, with temperatures plunging to record lows for the time of year in Portugal. Stuttgart airport in Germany recorded its lowest March temperature for 105 years with -18.6 C (-1.5 F), while heating was installed in the local zoo in Hanover to keep the lions and leopards warm. Dozens of trains were cancelled in Switzerland, and Bern had its coldest March night since records began in 1901, with a temperature of -15.6 C (4 F). Croatia and France also recorded low overnight temperatures but few could beat the -43.6 C (-50.6 F) recorded in the Berchtesgaden region near Germany’s border with Austria.
Meanwhile the mass of snow covering the Czech Republic was described as “probably the largest in the last 40 years” by hydrologist Jan Danhelka. Heavy snowfall caused problems in Spain, grounding flights in Madrid and Barcelona and disrupting train services. Ferry services from Spain also suffered as strong winds in the Strait of Gibraltar led to the cancellation of ferry services to Morocco.
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