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Snow and ice disrupt travel and power supplies across the UK

 


  • There are ice warnings UK-wide after major routes are affected by heavy snowfall which also brought down power lines.
  • Delivery delays may be days

Snowstorms have disrupted travel across many parts of the country and left thousands of homes without power.

An accident in treacherous conditions closed the M1 for several hours this morning but it reopened at 12.30pm.

A lorry crash closed all three lanes southbound before junction 19, with Leicestershire Police telling Sky News it was likely caused by the wintry conditions.

The worst of the snow fell across the Midlands and parts of Wales – with motoring organisations reporting a surge in minor bumps and breakdowns.

Frost in the Cotswolds

The RAC said it attended “a dozen vehicles” on the M25 alone – blaming a large pothole for causing punctures and wheel damage.

The seasonal weather hit as many people prepared to return to work after a short Christmas break.

Engineers were rushed to restore power to more than 24,000 homes.

There are still around 13,899 without electricity across southwestern and central parts of the country.

A build-up of snow and ice on power lines was blamed for bringing them down.

Image: M5 motorway in South Gloucestershire – Snow reduces the M5 motorway down to two lanes between junction 14 and 15 in South Gloucestershire

 

A lorry stuck on the A14 in Northampton
Image: A lorry stuck on the A14 in Northampton

 

Wintry conditions at Stansted AIrport. Pic: @RobertsNiomi
Image: Wintry conditions at Stansted AIrport. Pic: @RobertsNiomi

The conditions risked further trouble for the roads on Wednesday evening because of widespread ice warnings.

Earlier, a lorry jack-knifed on the M5 at junction 11a and the A46 was closed in both directions between the A435 and A422 near Alcester.

There is disruption on the A14 westbound in Suffolk between junctions 47 Elmswell and 45 due to flooding, while a stretch of the road was temporarily closed at junction three due to snow. Drivers there are understood to have been stuck for several hours.

Police attend an accident on the M1. Pic: Northants RAPT
Image: Police attend an accident on the M1. Pic: Northants RAPT

Motorists across the country are being warned to take extra care.

Up to 7cm of snow fell over Exmoor, South Wales and in the Cotswolds overnight.

Strong winds were recorded in parts of the south-west, with gusts of up to 50mph across Cornwall.

View image on Twitter
 Passengers at Stansted Airport were left waiting as the runway was closed temporarily to allow safety checks to be completed.

Travellers at Luton Airport were also warned to expect disruption due to sleet and snow, with reported delays of more than two hours as crews de-iced aircraft.

A spokesman for the airport said: “The airport is open and the runway operational but air traffic control restrictions are in place.

“There are some delays as airlines de-ice their aircraft. We advise all passengers to check with their airline for the latest status of their flight.”

View image on Twitter
Well, it’s stopped snowing on the #A14 … been here 5 hours and snow is so bad nothing is moving anytime soon, need a #LandRover
Passengers at Birmingham Airport have been warned the snow is likely to impact flights.

East Midlands Trains reported heavy snow between Market Harborough and Kettering had resulted in delays.

Western Power Distribution says 14,000 homes are without electricity
Image: Western Power Distribution had 15,000 homes without electricity at one stage

The Environment Agency issued several flood warnings and flood alerts for South West and central England.

According to the Met Office, temperatures are set to plunge across much of the UK overnight into Thursday.

It issued yellow warnings for ice covering England, Wales, the east of Northern Ireland and northern and western Scotland.

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