More snow is expected for many parts of the UK over the next 48 hours Freeze shuts schools and airports
More snow is expected for many parts of the UK over the next 48 hours Temperatures have plummeted overnight across the UK with widespread ice set to cause dangerous driving conditions.
Heavy snow and high winds produced blizzards across much of northern Scotland and police in the Highlands are advising against all travel.
Flights at Belfast, Aberdeen and Norwich airports are suspended and some train services are disrupted.
More snow is forecast later and on Saturday, with up to 25cm (10in) in Wales and southern and central England.
Energy Minister Charles Hendry has warned that more bad weather over Christmas could lead to “very serious” shortages of domestic heating oil.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for widespread icy roads for the whole of the UK.
There are also heavy snow warnings for Orkney and Shetland, Highlands and Outer Hebrides, Grampian, Northern Ireland, Wales and south-west England on Friday.
By Saturday, another band of heavy snow is forecast to affect much of England and Wales, with 5 to 10cm likely in many places and 20 to 25cm possible in some others.
Around the UKTravel problems as snow hits north Revellers warned on ‘Black Friday’ Severe weather in NI to continue
Problems overnight in northern Scotland include:
Several major roads, including a 50-mile stretch of the A9, have been blocked by snowPolice say conditions have been “particularly atrocious” in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, and some motorists had to be rescued from their cars after becoming strandedAberdeen airport was closed on Thursday and disruption is likely to continue on Friday morningDozens of schools in the north-east of Scotland, the Highlands and the Islands are expected to be closed
New Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown insisted Scotland was “very well prepared” and the authorities were doing all they could to keep trunk roads open.
But the BBC has been contacted by people in the Aberdeen area who have reported atrocious road conditions.
WEATHER AND TRAVEL INFO
Get the latest on travel problems via your local website Check if snow is forecast in your area at BBC Weather Details of motorway and local road closures and public transport disruption are available at BBC Travel News For advice on handling difficult driving conditions, see the Highways Agency website For information about severe weather warnings, see the Met Office website For information about staying healthy in the cold weather, see the NHS Winter Health website
Motorist Kirsty McCullough said: “It took me nearly fours hours to do a four-mile round-trip. It’s absolutely awful, the roads are sheet ice. They’ve not been gritted at all.”
Mr Brown’s predecessor Stewart Stevenson resigned after his department was criticised for its handling of the problems caused by the previous bout of severe weather.
Motoring organisation the AA said it had extra patrols on stand-by, while Network Rail said it had “snow teams in place” and would be “keeping equipment in strategic locations”.
Heavy snowfall during the past few weeks has caused huge disruption, especially in Scotland and north-east England.
Airports, roads and schools were closed, and companies are now warning of a backlog of deliveries which may not reach customers before Christmas.
The Royal Mail is putting on 7,000 delivery rounds this Sunday in a bid to ease the problem.
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