Heavy snowfall across the UK as schools closed, trains delayed and road accidents reported – as it happened
We're closing this live blog now, thanks for reading. Here's a summary of this morning's main developments:
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More than 220 schools have been closed across the UK after heavy snowfall overnight and this morning
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The Met Office says snow and ice warnings will remain in place in parts of the country into tomorrow
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Two major road accidents have been reported in Scotland
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Thousands of rail passengers have experienced disruption with networks across the UK reporting delays
As we've been reporting, many schools and colleges are closed today across the midlands and north of England because of snow, with Worcestershire and Derbyshire among the worst affected.
The University of Derby has closed its campuses in Chesterfield, Buxton and Leek because of snow, while Derbyshire county council lists 19 schools and nurseries[2] as closed while some have delayed openings or early closures.
Worcestershire lists 21 school closures, with some having to shut because staff have been unable to reach the school. Two schools in Worcestershire said they were forced to close because of heating or power failures, while others closed because school buses were unable to operate.
In addition to the school closures mentioned earlier, one school is closed in Northern Ireland.[3]
That takes the total recorded school closures across the UK to at least 224.
Thousands of train passengers are suffering disruption due to severe weather.
PA Media reports that by 11am today, some 64 out of a total of 120 services (53%) planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hour.
Figures for other operators include London North Eastern Railway (37%), Transport for Wales (13%), West Midlands Trains (13%) and CrossCountry (12%).
So far only 11 schools have fully closed in Scotland, with four in Highland[4] council area, five in Shetland [5]and one in Aberdeenshire[6].
But some in those counties, the worst affected so far by the cold snap, have opted to open later or to cancel school transport due to icy road conditions.
Parents are being advised to keep updated throughout the day for any changes if schools need to close early.
The Midlands has also been heavily affected by the snowfall, with school closures, delayed flights and traffic chaos on the roads.
At least 22 schools have shut their doors in Nottinghamshire, and in the West Midlands at more than 50 schools have announced they will be closed today, with dozens more delaying the start of the school day to allow longer for people to travel in.
There are delays of up to 40-60 minutes for departing flights at Birmingham Airport, while East Midlands Airport said its runway remained clear of snow but passengers should expect potential delays.
South Derbyshire District Council said all bin collections today have been cancelled, while all trains between Nottingham and Worksop have been cancelled due to "severe weather".
BBC weather is reporting the village of Watnall in Nottinghamshire will see as much as 12cm of snow, among the highest levels in the country.
We mentioned earlier that major road accidents have been reported in Scotland.
The RAC has this advice for driving in snow and ice:
Drivers should ensure their tyres have plenty of tread and are inflated to the correct pressure to give them the best possible grip on the road.
It's best to stick to major roads, rather than rural areas where surfaces may not be gritted, reduce speeds and leave plenty of space behind the vehicle in front to ensure you have more time to stop. Everyone should travel prepared in case they find themselves broken down at the side of the road: a blanket, warm waterproof coat and gloves, sturdy footwear and a charging cable and mobile power bank are all essentials.
A significant number of schools have been closed across the UK due to the snow.
This is the latest from Wales:
In Wrexham, 50 schools are closed today[7]. Eight are closed in Denbigshire[8], 66 in Flintshire[9] and 16 are closed in Powys[10].
The BBC has posted this video showing the snow, which fell heavily in the north of the UK overnight, moving south:
Winter has arrived early!
Northern Scotland, northern England, Wales and the Midlands have awoken to a cover of snow Tuesday morning.
It's moving south and has also fallen in central London. Here's a look at a recent radar image which shows the wintry mix. pic.twitter.com/W5v5zGJjl3[11]
In Scotland, the cold weather has led to two major road accidents already this morning. My colleague Rachel Keenan has this report:
The A9, the main arterial road for the Highlands, has been closed in both directions in Perthshire after a crash involving three vehicles and a lorry at Ballinluig south of Pitlochry.
Emergency services were called at 8:20am and are still in attendance with an air ambulance called to the scene.
Drivers are being advised to find alternative routes.
Meanwhile in Aberdeenshire, a Stagecoach bus toppled over near New Leeds earlier this morning.
There were no injuries reported but police say the road could be affected for 48 hours.
A police spokesperson said:
Around 7.05am on Tuesday, November 19, we were called to a report of a road crash involving a bus that had overturned on the A952 near New Leeds.
There were no reports of injuries to the three people on the bus.
References
- ^ 'First taste of winter' snow in UK brings school closures and travel disruptionsRead more (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ lists 19 schools and nurseries (apps.derbyshire.gov.uk)
- ^ one school is closed in Northern Ireland. (www.nidirect.gov.uk)
- ^ four in Highland (www.highland.gov.uk)
- ^ five in Shetland (www.facebook.com)
- ^ one in Aberdeenshire (online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk)
- ^ 50 schools are closed today (www.wrexham.gov.uk)
- ^ Denbigshire (www.denbighshire.gov.uk)
- ^ Flintshire (www.flintshire.gov.uk)
- ^ Powys (en.powys.gov.uk)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/W5v5zGJjl3 (t.co)
- ^ November 19, 2024 (twitter.com)