By Gerald Heneghan
Heavy snowfall has hit parts of the UK this morning (January 18th) and is expected to disrupt transport networks throughout the country.
The extreme weather has brought strong winds and blizzards and temperatures are expected to remain below zero across the majority of Britain.
Yesterday, the Met Office issued an amber warning about the severe conditions for parts of Wales, western England, the Midlands and the south of the country.
Chief forecaster for the organisation Andy Page claimed snowfall would be heaviest throughout the morning.
“Clearly there is the potential for significant disruption to people’s plans. We should follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities to help keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe in light of the forecast,” he said.
Met Office predictions for the weekend state that snow will have spread across London and south-east England by early afternoon, with maximum temperatures hitting 2 °C and up to 20cm of snow falling in some areas.
Light snowfall is expected to continue on Saturday, although the easterly wind is expected to ease throughout the day.
Drivers were advised to check road conditions and weather forecast before setting off this morning, with Steve Crosthwaite, head of the Highways Agency’s National Traffic Operations Centre, suggesting that motorists may wish to delay their journeys until conditions improve.
“Our traffic officers are working round the clock to monitor the network, deal with any incidents and keep traffic moving,” he said.
