Britain Braced For Return of the Big Freeze

[The Patriot]

Britain Braced For Return of the Big Freeze

12-06-2010 03:47 AM

ShareThis Published:
Mon, 2010-12-06 11:45


Britain Braced For Return of the Big Freeze


Britain Braced For Return of the Big Freeze

Source: SkyNews

Sub-zero temperatures are set to return to much of the UK today after a temporary reprieve from the big chill.
After days of shivering and travel chaos, parts of the nation enjoyed something of a thaw over the weekend with temperatures rising.
In London the snow and ice disappeared completely as the mercury climbed to 6C.
The brief respite allowed travel operators to get the country's transport network moving again.
Some roads are still closed, however, and train services are subject to delays and cancellations, especially in Scotland and the North.
All of Britain's airports are open but operators warn of disruptions to flights because of the weather and the air traffic controllers' strike in Spain.
Although meteorologists believe Britain has had the worst of the snow, it will continue to fall in Scotland from tonight onwards.
Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "It will be a very chilly start to the new working week. Get used to it as most of the week will remain that way.
"Some sleety showers reaching northern Wales and some parts of the Midlands, but I think the more significant snowfall will remain in Scotland and northeast England.
"Further south it will be mostly dry but cold."
It has emerged that at least seven people have died during the freezing weather.
They include two men who were killed in a crash on the M62 in Humberside and two teenage girls who died when their Peugeot 206 collided with a Royal Mail box van in Cumbria.
Amid fears of essential supplies not getting through, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has temporarily relaxed restrictions on lorry drivers' working hours.
The nine-hour daily limit was raised to 10 hours for HGVs to help vital supplies of fuel, food and gritting salt be delivered.
The weekend's sporting calender was decimated by the weather with all but one fixture in the Scottish football league postponed.
South of the border the highest profile casualty was Manchester United's Premier League game at Blackpool.
Horse race meetings were also badly hit.








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