‘First taste of winter’ causes travel disruption across UK as warnings issued

Snowy conditions described as “the first taste of winter” have caused school closures, train cancellations and road delays in parts of the UK after severe weather warnings were issued.

The Met Office put three yellow warnings for snow and ice in place in the North, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – advising vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.

The yellow warning for England was in place until 11am and the warning for Scotland will remain in force until 10am on Wednesday.

A number of schools in England and Wales were closed on Tuesday due to the conditions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.

National Rail warned the cold climate would affect various routes on northern train services until at least 2pm on Tuesday.

Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption due to the severe weather.

By 11am on Tuesday, some 64 out of a total of 120 services (53%) planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half-an-hour, according to the trains.im punctuality and reliability website.

Figures for other operators include London North Eastern Railway (37%), Transport for Wales (13%), West Midlands Trains (13%) and CrossCountry (12%).

Merseyrail issued an alert warning passengers that due to the potential of snow and ice covering tracks, the first service on each line in north-west England would run without customers to ensure conditions could be checked.

National Highways issued a severe amber weather alert for snow, with the M1 in Leeds and Sheffield, the M56 in Manchester, junction 39 of the M6 and junctions 21-23 of the M62 likely to see disruption.

The Met Office, which described the conditions as “the first taste of winter”, said 5-10cm of snow would prove disruptive in England, with Derbyshire being the area most likely to be affected.

In Scotland, a bus overturned amid icy conditions on the A952 at New Leeds in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach North Scotland said: “We can confirm that one of our vehicles operating on service X67 has been involved in an incident at New Leeds this morning due to ice on the road.

“One passenger was on board, and there were no injuries. Safety is our absolute priority, and we will investigate the full circumstances involved.”

Elsewhere the A9 was closed at Ballinluig, south of Pitlochry, following a four-vehicle crash which was reported at around 8.15am.

The Alzheimer’s Society warned cold weather can be “particularly challenging” for people with dementia.

“Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold – or they may not even recognise it themselves,” the charity said.

It advised the public to check in on loved ones, friends and neighbours living with the condition.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said: “This is the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, but we can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather.

“Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”

Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the charity is worried the loss of the winter fuel payment has caused many older people to be “extra fearful” about turning on their heating this winter.

“With high energy bills and food prices it is understandable that some may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a serious impact on an older person’s health, especially if they are already trying to manage existing illnesses,” she said.

“The cold raises blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke and breathing in cold air can also increase the risk, and impact, of serious illnesses like flu and pneumonia.”

Ms Abrahams said it is “vital” older people stay “fit, warm and well if they can” by having hot food and drinks throughout the day, wrapping up warm and sleeping with the windows closed.

Another charity, Asthma + Lung UK, urged those with lung conditions to be “extra careful”.

The charity warned cold weather can trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or “flare-ups” for people with other lung conditions.

Erika Radford, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Your risk of ending up in A&E doubles in winter if you have a lung condition.

“We’re here to help you to stay well, however every day people with lung conditions are needlessly suffering and without urgent action more lives will be put at risk.”