December 3rd 2023.
Heavy snow fell across parts of the UK on Saturday, causing travel chaos and chaos for drivers. The Met Office issued three weather warnings to reflect this, and police in Cumbria declared a major incident. One local resident described the conditions as feeling more like the Alps or a ski resort than England.
Hundreds of stranded vehicles were left on the M6 and major A-roads due to the hazardous conditions. People were encouraged to only travel if absolutely necessary, and snow ploughs and gritters have been out all night in an attempt to make the roads passable. A rare amber weather warning was issued in Cumbria on Saturday, but has since expired.
The Met Office has issued three more warnings for Sunday, including one for snow and ice in the Midlands and North of England until noon. Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull are among the cities affected, and the Met Office has warned that travel will likely be affected and people could suffer ‘injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces’.
In Cumbria, the snow was the heaviest resident Harrison Ward had seen during his eight years of living there. He described the scene as ‘complete gridlock’ and ‘a real smell of burnt clutches in the air’ as people attempted to navigate the treacherous roads.
Although not everywhere will see accumulating snow, some places are likely to see 1-3cm, with 5-10cm possible in Wales, the Peak District and South Pennines. This could affect roads and railway journeys, with longer journey times expected. Glasgow Airport suspended all flights on Saturday morning but later resumed, while London Stansted Airport warned of cancellations and delays on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
As a result of the cold weather, the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have issued amber cold health alerts in five regions until December 5. This means ‘cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time’.
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