Major incident declared after heavy snowfall on roads in Cumbria

Cumbria Police declared a major incident due to heavy snowfall on roads in the county and said people should only travel where essential.

The force said a multi-agency response was continuing on Saturday evening to “minimise the challenges caused by heavy snowfall to the county’s road network”.

Cumbria Police said it was aware of a number of reports of vehicles being stuck in traffic due to snow in the South Lakes region, particularly in the Bowness and Grizedale areas.

He added that low temperatures mean road conditions will continue to be challenging.

Inspector Andy Wilkinson said: “Agencies across Cumbria have been working together in response to the ongoing impact of heavy snowfall on the county’s roads.

“We are currently working quickly to help clear roads so those affected can move.

“I would urge anyone considering traveling to Cumbria tonight to only do so if necessary. The cold temperature forecast will make road conditions even more difficult.”

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for snowfall in Cumbria on Saturday, saying 10-15cm of snow could fall in some areas before showers begin to ease overnight.

The weather service added that “some rural communities are likely to experience power outages” and that power outages are also likely, with the potential for other services such as cell phone coverage to be affected.

It also issued a yellow warning for icy conditions in Cumbria and North Lancashire from midnight until 11am on Sunday, stating that “a small amount of snowfall may continue into the early hours of Sunday, but the real danger will be re-freezing of melted snow.” freezing of snow”.

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Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Snow in Cumbria can be heavy at times and strange thunderclaps can be heard… 10-15cm of snow could fall before showers begin to ease overnight.

“A low pressure system will bring less cold but more unstable weather to southern parts of the UK from tonight, but northern areas will remain cold with showers and sharp overnight frosts.

“Many parts of England and Wales can expect rain early next week, which may be heavy at times and pose a risk of flooding. Higher hills in North Wales and parts of northern England could see further snow.”

The weather service said Scotland’s Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland regions were likely to see the lowest temperatures on Saturday night, with minus 12C possible in some valleys in these areas.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice from 6pm on Saturday until 12pm on Sunday, covering the Midlands, Yorkshire, the north east and north west of England and north and mid Wales.

The weather service said snow accumulation would not be seen everywhere, but 1-3cm of snow was possible in some places, while some hills and mountains in Wales, the Peak District and the South Pennines were likely to see 5-10cm of snow.

The forecaster said there would likely be patches of ice on untreated roads, sidewalks and bike paths, leading to “some injuries from slipping and falling on icy surfaces.”

It warned that some roads and railways could be affected due to longer journey times by road, bus and train.

In Wales, the A470 was closed between Llechwedd, Blaenau Ffestiniog and the Crimean Pass due to weather conditions on Saturday afternoon after North Wales Police told motorists to avoid the area.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for London, eastern England, the West Midlands and parts of South Wales from midnight until 8am on Sunday.

The weather service warned that rain or sleet falling on frozen surfaces could lead to icing, and some injuries could occur due to slips and falls.

The report added: “Rain or sleet is expected to spread west to east across the region overnight, falling on frozen surfaces and perhaps leading to icy areas even where treatment has been applied.”

Glasgow Airport temporarily suspended all flights on Saturday morning, announcing on transport hub X (formerly Twitter) at 7.24am that it was doing so due to “heavier snow than expected”.

At 10.20am the airport issued the following statement: “Our runway is now fully operational again and we are working with our airline partners and their handlers to continue flight schedules.”

The UK Health Safety Agency and Met Office have issued yellow cold health warnings in five regions (East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber) until 5 December; This means “cold weather impacts are likely to be greater.” “It was felt across the health service for a long time.”