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UK weather: snow disruption continues with hundreds of drivers stranded – live UK weather: snow disruption continues with hundreds of drivers stranded – live
(about 4 hours later)
Sources at the National Grid appear optimistic that the situation regarding gas supply in the country is improving.
On Thursday, the organisation issued a warning that the UK was running out of gas.
However, a spokesperson for the National Grid has today said:
The ‘Gas Deficit Warning’ issued yesterday was withdrawn at 4.45am this morning and we are currently not expecting to issue another today (Friday).
The market has continued to respond over the last 24 hours and we have seen an increase of supplies into the network.
As the extremely cold weather continues we expect to see high demand on the gas network, so we are continuing to monitor developments closely.
Protecting customer supplies is always our first priority and we would like to reassure them that this high demand has not affected their domestic gas supplies.
Demand for gas normally drops over the weekend.
British Gas said that they have helped nearly 90,000 customers over the last four days.
Over the last four days, our engineers have battled the elements to help over 80,000 of our customers.We’re working hard to get to everyone as soon as we can. pic.twitter.com/Ll0vERGQul
Earlier today, readers responded to the cold weather and the country’s capacity to cope with freezing conditions.
You can read the eclectic collection of letters by following the link, but here is one contribution from Cathy Wood, in Staffordshire.
Frank Field (Letters, 2 March) draws our attention to the rise of destitution in the UK today as children from poor families arrive at school hungry and ill-prepared to learn. The impact of the recent snow and sub-zero temperatures on these children’s lives cannot be underestimated. With their schools closed, they must remain in their unheated homes for days on end without the comfort of a warm classroom or a hot meal. Government austerity and welfare cuts are cold comfort indeed to these poor children.
Meanwhile, in Milton Keynes, residents have seen takeaway meals delivered to their doors by ‘Snowbot’.
Just rescued this guy from some kids that had thrown snow in its eyes.. He’s I polite little chap, even said thank you. @starshiprobots #miltonkeynes #beastfromtheeast #snowday #robot #goodsamaritan #picoftheday #deliveryrobot #delivery #uk #winter #workinghard #goodvibesonly #storm #stormemma #video #vidoftheday #snow #starshiprobots
A post shared by Thom Boddington (@thomparkshaper) on Mar 1, 2018 at 10:19am PST
Just Eat say their delivery robots have been on trial in the city for over a year, but have been particularly effective in icy conditions.
The six-wheeled machines use radar, nine cameras and ultrasonic sensors and have been filmed making their way around the city’s icy streets with relative ease.
The @JustEatUK #snowbots have been doing a great job battling the elements to deliver #takeaways to hungry customers in #MiltonKeynes! The @StarshipRobots robot is able to switch from 6 wheels to 4 to help it navigate more easily through the #snow ❄️🤖#TheLittleRobotThatCould pic.twitter.com/eW8GXVtEOQ
British Transport Police have weighed in on the unruly passengers near Lewisham station.
We have all available officers & our emergency response teams deployed to help evacuate passengers on the trapped trains in the #Lewisham & surrounding areas. @metpoliceuk & @LondonFire are also in attendance.
Whilst we understand peoples concerns & frustration, please, please remain on the trains. We are working with rail staff to evacuate passengers from a number of services along the line but please be assured we will get to you as soon as we are physically able to #Lewisham
A Southeastern spokesman added:
There are currently severe delays to trains in the Lewisham area following a serious trespass incident.
Several passengers have forced open the doors on a train and disembarked while it was stopped outside of the station.
We’ve had to turn the power off for safety reasons, and Southeastern staff are currently working closely with Network Rail and the police to clear the trespassers from the tracks so that we can get trains moving again.
We completely understand that passengers on delayed and busy trains may be frustrated, but they simply must stay on the train for their own safety.
These trespassers risk being electrocuted by the ‘third’ rail or hit by other trains. They’re also causing significant further delay for other passengers that our staff are working hard to get home.
Southeastern have again urged rail passengers to remain onboard their trains, following multiple reports of travellers filtering onto the tracks near Lewisham station.
The company say trains will not move in the area until they can be sure nobody is on the tracks and they can switch the power back on.
Earlier this evening they asked for police assistance. They appear to have shut off power to tracks to stop customers being electrocuted – causing further delays.
#LEWISHAM: We can't tell you when you'll be moving at the moment. Process is effectively this; when people stop getting off trains (unless controlled by emerg. services) and we're clear no-one else is on track, the power will go back on. Once this happens - trains will move.
The death toll from the cold weather is now confirmed to have reached 10.
My colleagues Steven Morris, Matthew Weaver and Josh Halliday report that two people have died today, adding to the eight who have lost their life this week.
They write:
The UK is counting the cost of extraordinary blizzards that have brought parts of the country to a standstill, leaving death and destruction and bringing misery to tens of thousands of travellers.
You can read their full story, Death toll reaches 10 as destructive weather batters UK, by following the link.
Rail networks continue to urge travellers to avoid all but essential journeys.
Major and widespread disruption is effecting the railways, after some commuters spent the night on board trains on Thursday.
Southeastern say they have asked for police assistance after frustrated passengers left their trains before arriving at Lewisham station’s platform. The company may have been forced to shut off the power on the tracks to stop customers being electrocuted, causing further delays.
Southeastern trains have been telling rail users not to travel.
Earlier today it was announced that no services would be running out of London Waterloo, the country’s busiest station, after 8pm.
Some restrictions on tickets have been lifted in the capital and around the country.
Here are a selection of updates from a number of service providers.
We've asked for extra police assistance at Lewisham because of the ongoing major disruption with a number of trains trapped in the area whilst the power is off. We know it's difficult and really unpleasant onboard the trains but you're safer remaining onboard.
❄️😱 We’re tackling icicle threats to keep customers on the move. 🚄🔌 Giant icicles edging close to high-voltage overhead power lines led today to train customers being diverted.➡️ https://t.co/SiDax0tYs3#UKsnow #weather pic.twitter.com/dcsCIxdgYA
⚠️ #UKSnow - A number of incidents on the network are impacting service. Please travel as early as you can & consider whether it's necessary🚉 Check your journey ahead at https://t.co/4KS5k4zna7 ✋ If you're at home safe & warm & plan to travel, we'd advise against doing so pic.twitter.com/so7H2H7dcm
#VTCLEARED Disruption caused by damage to the overhead electric wires at Birmingham New Street has now ended. Services are no longer affected by this problem. https://t.co/Us2UiQiNtX
#UKSnowSE - Trains through Lewisham may be disrupted until approximately 20:30 - A train has become stuck near Lewisham, unfortunately some passengers have decided to alight from the train. as such services are being disrupted.
⚠️ ⚠️CRITICAL UPDATE: ⚠️⚠️In line with the below - unless your journey is vital, for example you need to get home and have nowhere else to stay. DO NOT TRAVEL. If you're somewhere safe & warm and can stay overnight, please POSTPONE your journey and travel tomorrow. https://t.co/JfAUMyvSFX
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❄️ This is why some rural branch lines are closed across the rail network...Here’s some recent pics of the Cromer branch on the Anglia route. 🛤👷‍♀️👷‍♂️ Our teams are working hard in freezing conditions to get trains moving again. 🚄 pic.twitter.com/J9YGLivbMR
The M62 remains closed but all cars between junction 20 (Rochdale) and junction 24 (Huddersfield) have now been recovered, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Earlier today, the military were helping police resolve the incident, which saw thousands of motorists held in their cars for a number of hours. Sections of the stretch of road have been closed since late on Thursday night.
High winds and treacherous conditions meant police advised drivers not to travel in the area.
The force added:
The M62 will be reopened when it is safe to do so and that decision is constantly under review.
Police Scotland have confirmed that a body has been recovered in the search for missing hill walker Alison Fox.
Officers and Mountain Rescue‎ teams had been searching the Ochil Hills near Stirling for the 51-year-old from Alloa, after she got lost on the hills near Menstrie on Thursday afternoon.
The body was found near to Dunyat Farm at around 2.15pm on Friday afternoon. While no formal identification has yet taken place, the woman’s family have been informed.
Police said that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
Police say a seriously ill former Royal Ballet School student is missing, after the 19-year-old reportedly left hospital without any shoes on.
Ashleigh Fair faced freezing conditions from around 9.30am on Thursday, when she left the Royal Berkshire Hospital, according to Thames Valley Police.
She is believed to have taken a taxi from Southern Hill, Reading, and arrived at Marble Arch, in central London, at 11.37am.
Ms Fair has a life-threatening condition and requires urgent medical assistance, Scotland Yard said.
She was dressed in a green and pink knitted jumper, black tracksuit bottoms and pink socks when she left the hospital, but was not wearing shoes.
Police are appealing for anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward.
Detective Sergeant Emily Evans, investigating officer at Thames Valley Police, said:
We are very concerned for Ashleigh’s wellbeing.
She is vulnerable and unwell, and we are also concerned that she is not wearing appropriate clothing for the weather.
I would ask anyone who sees her, or has any information which they think could lead to us locating her, to please call us on 999.
Army assistance during the extreme weather in Scotland is tonight extended to Tayside and Fife, where soldiers and military 4x4s will be helping transport essential staff to and from their hospitals.Army assistance during the extreme weather in Scotland is tonight extended to Tayside and Fife, where soldiers and military 4x4s will be helping transport essential staff to and from their hospitals.
NHS Tayside and NHS Fife requested the assistance given their more rural nature and the increased staff travelling distances.NHS Tayside and NHS Fife requested the assistance given their more rural nature and the increased staff travelling distances.
Last night soldiers helped to transport some 200 critical care staff to hospitals in Edinburgh. Patient transport continues to be provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.Last night soldiers helped to transport some 200 critical care staff to hospitals in Edinburgh. Patient transport continues to be provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
With freezing conditions out on the street, there has been heightened concern about the plight of homeless people.
My colleague Damien Gayle has a moving interview with 66-year-old Richard Curtis, released from hospital onto the streets of London.
You can read the full piece ‘Discharged to the streets’: one homeless man’s struggle in freezing London by following the link, but below is an extract.
With an air temperature of -4C, for Curtis it was like trying to breathe soup. The 66-year-old suffers from lung disease – stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – which cold air and large changes in temperature can badly aggravate. For a rough sleeper on the coldest week of winter, it is a major handicap.
“The cold makes life very difficult for me,” he croaks, in a toothless high-pitched whisper. “Because with this lifestyle – if it is a lifestyle – you need to be very active. There’s certain places where there’s the street handouts, there’s certain places where things happen at a certain time of day, so you need to move around. And if you’re slow you’ll just miss it.”
The “beast from the east”, which brought snow and a deep freeze this week, has caused chaos across Britain. But few will have felt its impact more than the thousands of homeless people on the streets.
Government figures claim there are just 4,750 people sleeping rough on a given night, but homeless charity workers are critical of the methodology behind the count. Crisis estimates there are about 8,000 sleeping on the street, plus another 8,000 hidden homeless who snatch their sleep in toilets or cars or public transport. Add in those who are sofa surfing or living in hostels or squats and the true figure balloons to 144,000, the charity says.
More than 1,900 flights were cancelled to or from UK and Irish airports on Friday, according to the Press Association.
Heathrow saw at least 370 flights cancelled, representing around 30% of all scheduled services.
Weather update: Extreme wintry conditions expected to continue in the UK & Europe today. Please continue to check your flight status with your airline before making your way to Heathrow, and take extra care when travelling. https://t.co/XxbDtyaoYr
Dublin Airport was forced to close, leading to 342 cancellations, while Edinburgh saw 219 flights unable to operate.
Staff at Glasgow Airport overcame “the worst snowfall in our history” to ensure the runway was open on Friday, although there were 132 cancellations. Meanwhile, London City Airport saw at least 185 cancellations.
More than 5,400 flights have been cancelled to or from European airports since Wednesday, meaning many UK travellers are now stranded abroad.
A spokesman for travel trade organisation Abta said:
Customers who are overseas and whose flight arrangements are delayed or cancelled should liaise with their tour operator or airline regarding changes to their travel itineraries and new flight arrangements.
If their flight is in the European Union or their airline is an EU carrier, customers will be entitled to food, refreshment and overnight accommodation or a refund of proportionate costs and will be flown home as soon as is possible at their airline’s expense.
Highways England have confirmed there has been a car accident westbound on the A38 in East Devon, but say 10 – not 40 – vehicles are involved.
The agency say that the incident, near Splatford Split, was caused by severe weather conditions.
They told the Guardian that 40 vehicles were being held while authorities dealt with the “minor collision”. Other reports had suggested that 40 cars were involved in the pile up.
No injuries have been reported, according to the agency, who have also highlighted reports of black ice.
The Environment Agency have issued 15 flood warnings and 36 flood alerts in place across the country, as melting snow and ice are expected to cause further issues when the weather warms up.
Red warnings – meaning “flooding is expected – immediate action required” – are mainly in force in the South West and North East issue.
Amber flooding alerts – meaning “flooding is possible – be prepared” – are also mainly in force in the same parts of Britain, though there are outliers in London and Gloucestershire.
We will be keeping a close eye on melting snow w/ @metoffice as conditions warm slightly next week. A steady thaw would mean rivers & ground would be able to absorb extra water without increasing flood risk. Pls do keep checking our alerts and warnings: https://t.co/PuexEILD5C
The AA have been counting the cost of collisions on the roads, suggesting that snow and ice have been responsible for some 13,100 incidents since the inclement weather began.
The organisation say that has cost some £17 million but add that the number of claims they are receiving is falling, which they believe is down to drivers heeding advice to not travel unless necessary.
Michael Lloyd, AA’s director of insurance, said:
the total number of claims is falling – although the proportion attributable to icy mishaps remains at about two-thirds of all claims.
This means that while there are fewer cars, there is a greater likelihood of being involved in some kind of collision.
The organisation have also listed some of the more “peculiar” claims reported to them, including:
Had a collision and we were exchanging details when another car hit both of our cars
Swerved to miss oncoming car and ended up sliding on roof into the ditch
Slid off the road hitting a wheelie bin and ending up in a bus shelter
Deliveroo say they are encouraging their riders to notify homelessness charity StreetLink of anyone they see sleeping rough on the streets tonight.
The food delivery company say that their 10,000 strong fleet across England and Wales will be sent a text message which says:
Seen someone sleeping outside, while you’ve been out riding? Help them by telling StreetLink via the app or call 0300 500 0914. More here: www.streetlink.org.uk
The charity enables members of the public to alert relevant local authorities to people on the streets who need support.
A 70-year-old man has died in Devon, taking the number of weather-related fatalities to six. He was rescued from cliffs in Torquay, Devon, after failing to return to his Newton Abbott phone. A homeless man, named locally as Ben, died while sleeping in freezing temperatures in a tent in Retford, Nottinghamshire. On Thursday, a seven-year-old girl died after a car crashed into a house in Looe, Cornwall; a 75-year-old woman was found dead in a street in Leeds; and a 46-year-old van driver died after a collision in Hampshire. A man who died on Wednesday in Welling, south-east London, was named as Stephen Cavanagh, 60.
More than 1,250 flights to or from UK and Irish airports were cancelled on Friday.
Thousands of schools have closed. They include the majority of schools in Wales, 400 schools in Northern Ireland, and all 279 schools in Cornwall.
Train lines urged passengers not to travel as services were cancelled or delayed and/or announced they would stop operating early on Friday. Disruption occured across the network. South Western Railway apologised to dozens of passengers who were stuck in trains overnight. A total of five trains were stranded overnight on the route between London and Weymouth, Network Rail said.
More than 1,250 flights to or from UK and Irish airports were cancelled on Friday.
Thousands of schools have closed. They include the majority of schools in Wales, 400 schools in Northern Ireland, and all 279 schools in Cornwall.
The main hospital in Exeter has postponed all planned surgery and diagnostic appointments, due to the severe weather. An “Internal critical incident” has been declared by the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.
Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Cornwall’s south coast. At least five homes were flooded in Porthallow and the main rail line at Dawlish in Devon has been blocked by high tides and broken down trains.
Major incidents were declared in Wiltshire Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and Hampshire, after hundreds of drivers were stranded on roads in the west country. The A303 was worst hit with drivers complaining of being stuck in their vehicles for 15 hours. Around 40 people including a baby were stuck on a bus from London stranded on the A303. At around 1.30pm today, Wiltshire police said they believed they had rescued everyone.
At least 9,000 households in England and Wales endured a night with out power. Electricity North West blamed outages affecting 5,000 homes in its area, on 100 separate faults on the network. Western Power said around 4,000 homes in south-west England and Wales were without power. In Ireland, some 30,000 homes and business were without power.
The military has been deployed to help clear snow-covered roads in and around Greater Manchester. At one point on Thursday night, some 3,500 vehicles were stuck on the M62, 200 of which remained there overnight. The armed forces are also providing assistance in Lincolnshire, Edinburgh, Shropshire, and Devon.
Up to 4,000 guests at separate Center Parcs camps in Cumbria and Wiltshire have been urged to stay in their lodges because weather conditions make it too difficult to leave. Center Parcs has cancelled all of next week’s bookings at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire.
At one point on Thursday night, some 3,500 vehicles were stuck on the M62, according to Asst Chf Con Robert Potts, of Greater Manchester police.
He said some 200 vehicles remained there overnight before they were brought off the motorway on Friday morning.
Any runners wondering whether the cold is sufficient excuse not to run in the Bath half marathon on Sunday will be pleased to know the decision has been taken out of their hands.
Latest update: SUNDAY’S BATH HALF MARATHON IS CANCELLED We are announcing with deep regret that unfortunately the race on Sunday will not now go ahead https://t.co/oVpGv4JPgV pic.twitter.com/Iqxp6NbL09
Cardiff airport will not reopen until 6am tomorrow.
*TRAVEL UPDATE* Due to ongoing weather conditions the airport will remain closed until 0600 tomorrow (3 March) customers are advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airline for info. Fingers crossed for tomorrow! We'll keep you updated. pic.twitter.com/m7nIaVKcWC