Heavy snow disrupts travel with icy weather warnings still in place

Heavy overnight snow in Wales and northern England has caused travel disruption as the new year got off to a cold start.

- Rachel Hall

The Met Office put in place an amber weather warning for snow in northern England yesterday, along with seven yellow warnings lasting into today, including three for snow and ice in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Midlands, one for snow in northern England, and two for rain in the south of England.

Although the snow turned into rain in much of the country, drifts accumulated in northern England, especially on higher ground. Bingley in West Yorkshire had 17cm of snow yesterday, with Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, both recording 10cm, the Met Office said.

One amber warning for snow and freezing rain, which covers much of Wales and the Midlands as far north as Manchester, was in place until midday yesterday. Higher ground in Wales and the southern Pennines could see 15cm to 30cm of snow, the forecaster said, with milder air leading to a rapid thaw in the south of the warning area. The Met Office said some rural communities could be cut off, with up to 40cm of snow falling on ground above 300 metres, before conditions ease later on.