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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Cold weather leaves thousands without power | Cold weather leaves thousands without power |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Severe weather warnings covering most of England, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland remain in place as the blast of unseasonally cold air shows no sign of relenting. | Severe weather warnings covering most of England, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland remain in place as the blast of unseasonally cold air shows no sign of relenting. |
| Thousands of homes are without power in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Cumbria , many roads are blocked by snow or abandoned vehicles, flights have been cancelled, particularly in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, and rail travel has been disrupted across much of Britain. | Thousands of homes are without power in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Cumbria , many roads are blocked by snow or abandoned vehicles, flights have been cancelled, particularly in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, and rail travel has been disrupted across much of Britain. |
| More snow fell in many places and the Met Office warned that ice would become more of a problem. Despite round-the-clock work by power company engineers, about 12,500 properties in Northern Ireland, 10,000 in Scotland, 500 in Wales and 200 in west Cumbria still had no electricity by Sunday evening. | More snow fell in many places and the Met Office warned that ice would become more of a problem. Despite round-the-clock work by power company engineers, about 12,500 properties in Northern Ireland, 10,000 in Scotland, 500 in Wales and 200 in west Cumbria still had no electricity by Sunday evening. |
| There is little sign of any improvement in the weather before Thursday, and the bookmaker William Hill is giving 5-1 odds against snow in London on Easter Sunday, and 2-1 for Edinburgh. March looks set to become the coldest in more than 40 years. It will certainly be good news for thousands of school pupils – if not their parents – with some schools likely to remain closed for much of the last week of term. | There is little sign of any improvement in the weather before Thursday, and the bookmaker William Hill is giving 5-1 odds against snow in London on Easter Sunday, and 2-1 for Edinburgh. March looks set to become the coldest in more than 40 years. It will certainly be good news for thousands of school pupils – if not their parents – with some schools likely to remain closed for much of the last week of term. |
| The body of a hill walker was recovered in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday by a mountain rescue team, the second death over the weekend linked to the weather. The man, 57, was found in Streap, near Fort William, where wind chill made the temperature feel well below freezing. | The body of a hill walker was recovered in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday by a mountain rescue team, the second death over the weekend linked to the weather. The man, 57, was found in Streap, near Fort William, where wind chill made the temperature feel well below freezing. |
| Police said it was not yet possible to say whether his death was caused by the snow. Also on Saturday, the body of Gary Windle, 25, was found in deep snow by a farmer near Burnley, Lancashire. | Police said it was not yet possible to say whether his death was caused by the snow. Also on Saturday, the body of Gary Windle, 25, was found in deep snow by a farmer near Burnley, Lancashire. |
| Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications that it was a "tragic accident" after he had tried to walk home after a night out with friends. | Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications that it was a "tragic accident" after he had tried to walk home after a night out with friends. |
| On the Isle of Arran, where homes have been without power since Friday, an 80-year-old woman suffering from hypothermia was airlifted by helicopter to hospital on the mainland. | On the Isle of Arran, where homes have been without power since Friday, an 80-year-old woman suffering from hypothermia was airlifted by helicopter to hospital on the mainland. |
| Engineers were ferried over to the island to hook up emergency generators to create pockets of power, and two village halls launched a 24-hour service providing rest centres and free hot food and drinks. In Northern Ireland, engineers took to helicopters to monitor the state of power lines in areas impassable in snow drifts. . | Engineers were ferried over to the island to hook up emergency generators to create pockets of power, and two village halls launched a 24-hour service providing rest centres and free hot food and drinks. In Northern Ireland, engineers took to helicopters to monitor the state of power lines in areas impassable in snow drifts. . |
| As engineers tried to restore power to rural areas of counties Antrim and Down, a Northern Ireland Electricity spokeswoman said full power may not be restored across the province for days. | As engineers tried to restore power to rural areas of counties Antrim and Down, a Northern Ireland Electricity spokeswoman said full power may not be restored across the province for days. |
| At least 500 homes in Antrim and west Belfast were also without water. | At least 500 homes in Antrim and west Belfast were also without water. |
| An RAF Sea King helicopter carrying a mountain rescue team has flown from its base in Anglesey, north Wales, to Northern Ireland help rescue operations in areas cut off by snow. | An RAF Sea King helicopter carrying a mountain rescue team has flown from its base in Anglesey, north Wales, to Northern Ireland help rescue operations in areas cut off by snow. |
| The agriculture ministry was accused by one independent assembly member, Basil McCrea, of abandoning farmers unable to feed or check on animals. | The agriculture ministry was accused by one independent assembly member, Basil McCrea, of abandoning farmers unable to feed or check on animals. |
| "The snow is simply too deep for even farming equipment to clear the minor roads. Animals are in distress because of lack of feed, farm buildings are collapsing." | "The snow is simply too deep for even farming equipment to clear the minor roads. Animals are in distress because of lack of feed, farm buildings are collapsing." |
| In snow-hit Cumbria drivers who had abandoned cars spent two nights in pubs and hotels. Phil Chapman, landlord of the Brown Cow Inn in Waberthwaite, which took in 10 motorists, said the snow outside was almost three metres deep. | In snow-hit Cumbria drivers who had abandoned cars spent two nights in pubs and hotels. Phil Chapman, landlord of the Brown Cow Inn in Waberthwaite, which took in 10 motorists, said the snow outside was almost three metres deep. |
| "We can't go anywhere, we are completely trapped and we have had no electric since about 3 or 4pm yesterday afternoon. We are just sat in front of the fire." | "We can't go anywhere, we are completely trapped and we have had no electric since about 3 or 4pm yesterday afternoon. We are just sat in front of the fire." |
| Police called on dozens of motorists who had abandoned cars on the A595 to coordinate recovery but warned them not to attempt to retrieve vehicles themselves, describing weather conditions as "still challenging". | Police called on dozens of motorists who had abandoned cars on the A595 to coordinate recovery but warned them not to attempt to retrieve vehicles themselves, describing weather conditions as "still challenging". |
| In Staffordshire, where drifts piled up to four metres in places, snowploughs were called in to clear a route to an isolated farm so a GP could visit a seriously ill patient, and cleared several minor roads so a heavily pregnant woman could get to hospital. | In Staffordshire, where drifts piled up to four metres in places, snowploughs were called in to clear a route to an isolated farm so a GP could visit a seriously ill patient, and cleared several minor roads so a heavily pregnant woman could get to hospital. |
| Leeds Bradford airport remained closed all day, East Midlands reopened by mid-afternoon, and those such as Luton and Gatwick that remained open warned travellers to check with their airlines before beginning their journey, as there were delays on incoming flights. | Leeds Bradford airport remained closed all day, East Midlands reopened by mid-afternoon, and those such as Luton and Gatwick that remained open warned travellers to check with their airlines before beginning their journey, as there were delays on incoming flights. |
| Further snow on Sunday night is forecast to be light flurries rather than blizzards. | Further snow on Sunday night is forecast to be light flurries rather than blizzards. |
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