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UK weather latest: Freezing spell bites with wintry showers, hail and snow forecast as temperatures hit -4C | UK weather latest: Freezing spell bites with wintry showers, hail and snow forecast as temperatures hit -4C |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Travellers had their plans thrown into chaos this morning after many parts of the country were covered in ice – following freezing temperatures overnight which dropped to below -6c. | |
Rail chiefs were forced to cancel some services because of the conditions, which in some cases left trains frozen to the tracks in locations in the south of the country. | |
Commuters also faced delays of up to 90 minutes on some lines because of the disruption caused by the icy weather. | |
It came as the Met Office issued a warning overnight for ice across London, the south east and south west of England, warning of slips and falls on untreated roads and pavements. | |
South Western Railway said its services between Guildford and Havant and Basingstoke and Eastleigh were disrupted because of ice on conductor rails. | |
Trains were stuck at some locations, blocking the lines, leading to rail replacement buses being laid on. | |
Passengers were told that services were subject to delays of up to 90 minutes, cancellation and alteration at short notice. | |
The delays came on top of disruption to SWR services to and from London Waterloo this weekend because of engineering work. | |
National Rail this morning at just after 8am announced it had been forced to suspend trains on a section of the Southern service due to the icy weather. | |
It said in a tweet: “You are strongly advised not to travel between Lewes and Hasting this morning. Services between these stations have been suspended due to extremely icy conditions." | |
More ice could be possible tomorrow morning and again disrupt travel plans as forecaster predicted that temperatures could plummet as low as -4c from Saturday night into Sunday morning. | |
The chaos commuters faced this morning came after freezing weather overnight, with the Met Office saying they recorded a national low of -6.3c in Topcliffe in Yorkshire. | |
The Arctic like conditions overnight also saw up to 3cm of snow fall in higher parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. | |
The dramatic change at the tail end of the autumn came as Public Health England warned a prolonged spell of cold weather was likely. | The dramatic change at the tail end of the autumn came as Public Health England warned a prolonged spell of cold weather was likely. |
Met Office forecaster Steven Keats told The Independent: “Temperatures today will be around 3c to 7c but it will feel bitterly cold. | Met Office forecaster Steven Keats told The Independent: “Temperatures today will be around 3c to 7c but it will feel bitterly cold. |
“There is a risk of snow anywhere really but likely in the mountain areas in Scotland and also in South Wales and in the Moors, with a bit of sleet in parts of the Midlands. | “There is a risk of snow anywhere really but likely in the mountain areas in Scotland and also in South Wales and in the Moors, with a bit of sleet in parts of the Midlands. |
“More an issue really is hail that is coming down in wintry showers. | “More an issue really is hail that is coming down in wintry showers. |
“It’s worth mentioning too there is some good sunny weather, with good visibility. | “It’s worth mentioning too there is some good sunny weather, with good visibility. |
“Overnight it is trickier to gauge because of wind but temperatures of minus 3c and 4c are possible in parts.” | “Overnight it is trickier to gauge because of wind but temperatures of minus 3c and 4c are possible in parts.” |
Figures earlier this week showed there were more than 34,000 “excess deaths” across England and Wales over the last winter period, the second highest level in eight years. | Figures earlier this week showed there were more than 34,000 “excess deaths” across England and Wales over the last winter period, the second highest level in eight years. |
The Office for National Statistics said the rise was likely to be due to a “predominant strain of flu prevalent during the 2016 to 2017 winter”. | The Office for National Statistics said the rise was likely to be due to a “predominant strain of flu prevalent during the 2016 to 2017 winter”. |
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