Commuters warned of icy roads and travel disruption
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Commuters were warned of icy roads and travel disruptions as temperatures plummeted again across the UK overnight.
New weather warnings have been issued with snow, ice and fog expected in southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.
It will be mainly dry elsewhere with some winter sunshine, but temperatures could drop to -16C again on Thursday night.
The cold snap has brought heavy snow to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings have been issued due to heavy rain or melting snow.
The lowest temperature recorded at Shape in Cumbria was -8.4 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.
Meanwhile, all of England remains on a yellow cold health alert until Sunday, meaning the weather is expected to have a major health impact, including an increase in deaths.
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The Met Office said travel on road and rail services could be disrupted on Thursday in areas covered by the warning, with accidents possible in icy locations.
There are five warnings:
- A yellow warning for ice and snow is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
- A yellow warning for ice has been issued for southern England and south-east Wales until 10:30
- Two yellow warnings for snow and ice will remain in place until 11:00 GMT, one across west Wales, north-west England and south-west England; It’s Northern Ireland
- Yellow warning for heavy fog in Northern Ireland until 09:00
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Heavy snow closed some roads in Devon and Cornwall on Wednesday, leaving motorists at a standstill for “prolonged periods”, according to the county authorities.
Backhoes with plows were working Thursday morning to clear roads in the area.
Car insurance company RAC said demand for rescues was at its highest level in three days since December 2022.
RAC breakdowns spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The cold weather is set to continue until at least the weekend so we urge drivers to remain alert to the risks posed by ice and, in some places, snow.”
National Rail is also advising passengers to check before traveling as ice and snow may mean speed restrictions and line closures.
Bad weather is affecting the Northern and Great Western Railway on Wednesday night.
Trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog will also be replaced by buses until Monday.
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Cold weather has wreaked havoc across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country over the weekend.
Hundreds of schools have closed across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including those in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.
The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. There are currently 68 flood warnings (meaning flooding is expected) in England and three flood warnings in Wales.
The weather is not expected to be that cold over the weekend.