Snow Eases But Ice Threat Keeps Britain On Alert

The white stuff is thinning, but that doesn’t mean the danger has passed. The Met Office says snow will ease through Monday night — yet a stretched warning for ice means many areas face a frosty and slippery Tuesday morning. Yellow alerts remain in force across Scotland north of Glasgow, through eastern England from Ipswich up to the Scottish border, and in parts of Wales and the south-east. Northern Ireland has its own ice warning from 17:00 today until 10:00 tomorrow, covering Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. Showers driven in from the North Sea are still falling in places. Southeast Scotland, parts of North and East Yorkshire and Redcar and Cleveland have seen the most frequent snow bands. The Met Office also warned of sleet, lightning and gusty winds, with another 5–10cm possible in places and up to 20–30cm on higher ground. Some Highland spots recorded hefty totals already — Loch Glascarnoch measured 34cm, while Dyce and Altnaharra saw about 27cm each. Temperatures plunged in the cold snap. Overnight lows included −10.9C at Shap in Cumbria, −10.3C at Sennybridge in Powys and −9.9C at Bala in Gwynedd. Falling mercury overnight will increase the risk of widespread ice on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. The disruption has been widespread. Hundreds of schools were closed across Scotland, northern England, Wales and south-west England; Northern Ireland reported 186 shut schools. Trains and flights were cancelled or delayed — LNER advised customers not to travel north of Edinburgh until at least mid-afternoon and said services to Aberdeen and Inverness would not run. National Rail expects disruption in northern Scotland to continue into Tuesday. Eurostar asked passengers between London and the Netherlands to postpone journeys after services could not continue beyond Brussels. Aberdeen Airport logged several cancelled Loganair and British Airways flights. Health and safety warnings are in place. The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber cold alerts for England, urging people to check on older relatives and those with health problems. Utility firms say they are helping vulnerable customers with alternative heating and cooking, though crews have struggled to reach some locations — a number of properties around Kingsbridge and Salcombe remain hard to access. If your travel plans are ruined, remember your rights: short-haul passengers are entitled to refreshments after two hours’ delay, medium- and long-haul after three and four hours respectively, and accommodation if stranded overnight. For cancellations you can request a reroute or a refund — airlines must also try to get you on an alternative carrier if needed. The headline now is less about dramatic snow and more about what comes after it: ice and bitter cold. Take care on the roads, leave extra time and check on vulnerable neighbours. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article