Warnings issued as Britain hit by more snow and ice

Severe weather warnings for ice and snow are in place across much of Britain as the Arctic freeze continues.

Rain expected across Scotland, Wales, and the north and west of England, could freeze on hitting the ground.

In Cumbria, police have urged people not to drive after almost 100 accidents caused by freezing rain.

Snow, occasionally heavy, that hit the north of England in the afternoon, has moved southwards to the Midlands, south Wales and southern England.

Emergency calls

The Met Office has issued an "amber" warning for the whole of England, the second-highest level of alert, telling people to "be prepared" for severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow between Thursday and Monday.

"Yellow" warnings, telling people to "be aware", for snow and ice are in place for much of England and eastern Wales.

Forecasters are predicting rain could freeze instantly as it hits very cold surfaces in some places, with the resulting ice making pavements and roads "extremely hazardous".

The A66 trans-Pennine route was closed on Thursday morning after a number of lorries jack-knifed near Stainmore in Cumbria and there have been a large number of crashes on the M6.

North West Ambulance Service control centres have answered almost 700 emergency calls since 08:00 GMT on Thursday, and responded to 187 incidents where people had fallen.

Meanwhile, staff at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary are asking people not to go to A&E unless it is strictly necessary.

'Ice patches'

A Cumbria County Council spokeswoman warned that road conditions were expected to remain hazardous through Friday.

She said: "Although air temperatures have risen above freezing in many places, ground temperatures remain below zero, causing the rain to freeze on the ground and create patches of black ice."

In Gateshead, Tyneside, six vehicles collided in freezing conditions on the Felling bypass and drivers were trapped after a crash at the junction of the A194 and the A1 southbound.

BBC weather forecaster Alex Deakin said: "Freezing rain is when super-cooled water droplets hit a surface and instantly freeze - almost impossible to drive on.

"Now, the emphasis is shifting. Yes, it's still icy outside but we're also now starting to see some snow falling."

He said the snow would gradually track its way southwards down England through Thursday evening and overnight.

Up to 5cm (2ins) of snow could fall in some places, he said.

Train services


A spokesman for the train companies said they were were gearing up to deal with the bad weather.

"The whole industry will be working hard to get people from A to B as quickly and reliably as possible," he said.

A Network Rail spokesman added: "We are working closely with the forecasters and train operators to track the weather system across the country and put plans into action to run the best possible train service for passengers."

With the snow and ice, the charity Age UK has warned that elderly people are particularly vulnerable.

Age UK director general Michelle Mitchell said: "Low temperatures raise blood pressure which puts people at a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as increasing the likelihood and severity of flu and other respiratory problems."

- BBC