2 years ago
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Image source, PA Media
A car drives on an icy roadworthy successful Kent, aft the south-east of England besides saw snowfall
By Laura Gozzi & Jasmine Andersson
BBC News
Motorists are being urged to program and hole earlier mounting disconnected successful icy weather, aft the UK saw its coldest nighttime since February 2021.
Temperatures fell to a debased of -17.3C (0.8F) overnight successful Braemar successful the Scottish Highlands.
Yellow warnings person been issued for the south-west and north-east seashore of England arsenic good arsenic bluish Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.
The acold drawback comes amid obstruction strikes, meaning much radical whitethorn usage cars.
Britain contiguous is seeing a adjacent full shutdown of its railways, with lone astir 20% of services expected to run. Further onslaught enactment is expected connected Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
This means galore radical volition take to thrust to marque the benignant of travel they would usually bash by obstruction - but successful importantly much treacherous conditions than accustomed owed to the acold weather.
The RAC is urging motorists to "plan, hole and consider" earlier mounting off.
How to thrust safely connected crystal oregon successful the snowfall
The RAC - oregon Royal Automobile Club - has issued immoderate tips for drivers to stay harmless connected the roads:
- Plan your travel successful advance, avoiding areas prone to flooding and ice
- Leave clip to wide car windows, mirrors, lights and the apical of your extortion of snowfall earlier mounting off
- Pack an exigency breakdown kit with the likes of a telephone charger, food, drink, a broad to support you warm, a de-icer and a hi-vis vest successful lawsuit you interruption down
- Accelerate gently, usage debased revs and alteration cogwheel arsenic rapidly arsenic possible
- Move disconnected successful 2nd cogwheel to trim the hazard of slipping
- Leave arsenic overmuch arsenic 10 times the accustomed magnitude betwixt you and different cars
- Brake earlier you crook the steering instrumentality erstwhile approaching a bend
- If you brushwood a skid, steer mildly successful that direction
- Do not thrust successful the instrumentality tracks of different cars if the roadworthy arsenic not been gritted
- Keep your velocity importantly down to navigate icy roads
- Go into a higher cogwheel to support a grip connected the crystal to support traction
Rod Dennis from the RAC said the work experienced a grounds time connected Monday, which created the "worst-ever wintertime breakdown cocktail".
Around 12,000 drivers needed help, the equivalent of 8 each minute.
He added that Tuesday "remains an incredibly demanding time for our patrols" owed to the obstruction strikes bringing much drivers onto the roads.
The AA besides said that it was important radical bash not springiness successful to the temptation of pouring blistery h2o connected a frozen windscreen and driving disconnected arsenic this could ace the glass, oregon rapidly frost again connected the screen.
Instead, the AA said you should crook connected your car - ensuring the wipers are disconnected to debar harm - and past crook connected the lukewarm aerial blower connected the windscreen. You should besides crook connected your rear windscreen heater, positive the air-con to guarantee the windows bash not fog up.
The adjacent measurement is to wide immoderate snowfall with a brushed brush, earlier moving connected to utilizing a scraper and de-icer connected the car.
The acold drawback is owed to past until the play successful astir places successful the UK, and a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering each of England is presently successful spot until 09:00 GMT connected Friday 16 December.
Under the acold upwind alert, radical are advised to look retired for friends and household who whitethorn beryllium susceptible to the cold, and guarantee they person entree to lukewarm nutrient and drinks and are managing to vigor their homes adequately.
Provisional information from the Met Office shows that the somesthesia successful Braemar did not emergence supra -9.3C (15F) each time yesterday, making it the coldest time successful the UK since December 2010.
England recorded its coldest somesthesia yet connected Monday night, plummeting to lows of -11.8C (10.7F) astatine Redesdale successful Northumberland.
Yellow upwind warnings are successful spot for snowfall and crystal successful the southbound westbound of England until 10:00 BST connected Wednesday.
A snowfall and crystal alert volition besides travel into effect from 15:00 connected Tuesday for Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire and the north-east of England, lasting until 12:00 connected Wednesday.
The Scottish Highlands, which person bore the brunt of the harshest upwind during the acold snap, is besides nether the aforesaid warning.
The acold conditions caused by freezing aerial from the Arctic volition stay successful situ for the remainder of the week, affecting the entirety of the UK.
Northern Ireland has an alert for fog lasting until Wednesday, portion bluish Scotland's alert for snowfall is acceptable to past to the extremity of the week.
Find retired the upwind forecast for your area, with an hourly breakdown and a 14-day lookahead, by downloading the BBC Weather app: Apple - Android - Amazon
The BBC Weather app is lone disposable to download successful the UK.
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