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Snow and travel disruption across UK – live coverage
Snow and ice are continuing to cause disruption across the UK, with hundreds of drivers stranded in their cars in Scotland overnight. Follow the latest here
The Met Office said there was between 10cm and 40cm of lying snow in the central lowlands yesterday, with around 32cm in Edinburgh and 11cm in Glasgow. Photograph: David Cheskin/PA
Adam Gabbatt
@adamgabbatt
Tue 7 Dec 2010 03.30 EST
5.29pm:
That's it for today, thanks for reading and commenting.
An inquest into the death of a driver who was hit by a vehicle after he stopped to help a stranded motorist in freezing conditions has been opened and adjourned, PA report. The man who died in the collision on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales last week was named by police today as Paul Clarkson, 57, from East Appleton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire Police described earlier how Clarkson was standing behind his Land Rover Defender when he was struck by a Land Rover Freelander.
He had stopped to help recover a Vauxhall Corsa from a ditch at Bellerby Bank, between Richmond and Leyburn, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, when the accident happened.
A force spokesman said the incident happened on the A6108 at 7pm on December 2.
He said Clarkson stopped to help recover the Vauxhall Corsa, which had left the road and ended up in a ditch.
As he was standing behind his vehicle, he was hit by the Freelander, which was travelling down Bellerby Bank, trapping him between the two vehicles.
The Defender was also shunted into the Corsa.
Clarkson was taken to Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, with serious injuries.
Officers said he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Clarkson's wife, who has not been named, was in the passenger seat of the Defender when it was struck but was not injured.
The man driving the Corsa and the woman driving the Freelander escaped injury, police said.
Officers issued an appeal for motorists to take care on icy roads following the incident.
The inquest into Clarkson's death was opened and adjourned in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, today.
A retired couple were left "starving and freezing" after being stranded in their car for 17 hours on a journey which usually takes 40 minutes, report PA
Hundreds of travellers were caught out yesterday as a fresh wave of snow and blizzards struck major routes in central Scotland.
Pensioners Stewart and Kathleen Hendrie described their experience as "appalling".
They left their daughter's house on Glasgow's south side at 10am on Monday and finally sought warmth in a hotel in Cumbernauld at 4am today.
The couple were trying to make their way home to Falkirk when they were caught up in Kathleen, 66, said: "We had breakfast with my daughter at 8am before setting off home. It was 9pm before we ate again after we walked a mile along the road to a petrol station.
"The hunger we could deal with, but the worst thing was the intense cold. I didn't know how long we'd be stuck and at one point I joked with my husband that I thought I was going to get hypothermia.
"We put £10 of petrol in the car before setting off, which is more than enough to make the journey, but we were starting to run out of fuel after leaving the engine running to keep warm.
"Luckily, there was a van near us who let us come inside for a while to get a blast of heat when it was minus 14 outside."
The couple's son, Douglas, managed to book Kathleen and her 65-year-old husband into the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld after they had been stuck at the Crowwood Roundabout for five hours.
However, it was a further 15 hours before they were able to make the eight-mile journey, finally checking into the hotel just after 4am.
Kathleen said: "It was so good to get into the warm and get a good breakfast. We only managed to sleep for a few hours and then we decided to leave just after 9am.
"It hadn't snowed in a while and we wanted to chance getting back to Falkirk while we could. We just wanted to get home.
"It was an appalling experience I would never want to repeat again. We were starving, freezing and, above all, worried. If there's even one flake of snow that falls again I won't be going out in it."
A police helicopter was called in to rescue a dog walker who fell 30ft down a steep snow-covered slope in sub-zero conditions today, the Press Association reported.
The 51-year-old woman was walking her two dogs in a densely-wooded area of the Valley Gardens in Saltburn, Cleveland, at 9am when she slipped off the footpath.
She rang the emergency services from her mobile, despite only having patchy reception, and officers set out to find her.
They struggled to locate the woman as she was hidden from view by trees as the temperature hovered around minus 2C (28.4F).
Colleagues in the Cleveland Police helicopter managed to find her using a thermal imaging camera at about 9.45am.
With the help of search and rescue specialists, the woman was lifted to safety on a spinal board as a precaution and taken to the James Cook University Hospital for a check-up.
The Valley Gardens area of the seaside town is popular with dog walkers, and is known for its steep, wooded paths.
12.38pm:
This video is perhaps a little long, and djvinster's presentational style may not quite be to everyone's taste, but it provides a real sense of just how chaotic the roads were in parts of Scotland yesterday.
Yesterday was "one of the busiest days in the AA's history", the company has announced. It attended around 24,000 breakdowns, compared to 10,500 on a normal Monday.
So far today, it has attended around 7,700 breakdowns across the UK, with calls peaking at around 2,500 every hour this morning, which it says is around two and a half times the normal rate.
The RAC said it saw "unprecedented call volumes" yesterday. It said it received 3,000 calls an hour, the busiest since the cold weather began.
"Batteries problems continue to be the number one fault," the company said. Luckily Alan Wilcock – RAC Patrol Ambassador of the Year, no less – is on hand with advice for motorists:
Before you start the car in the morning, make sure everything is switched off - including the heater, fan, lights and radio. Turn the ignition key to the 'on' position for two or three seconds to allow the electronics to get going before starting the engine. These actions will save valuable energy - every volt is precious in cold weather.
The sea freezing in the bay at Canna, one of the inner Hebrides. Photograph: National Trust Scotland Photograph: National Trust Scotland
Severin Carrell reports that while travellers on the mainland have been grappling with the misery of gridlocked roads and treacherous driving conditions, residents on the tiny Hebridean island of Canna have been relishing a very rare cold snap – as depicted in this stunning picture.
Canna, which lies just south west of Skye, is normally protected from severe winters by its sheltered position and the surrounding sea. It rarely snows there. But for only the third time in living memory, its bay has frozen over, to give a spectacular view over the sea to Skye.
Stewart Connor, of the National Trust for Scotland, which owns the island of about 25 inhabitants, said: "It has been unusually cold, but as the pictures show, spectacular. It's unusual for Canna to experience such low temperatures. While the bay did start to freeze
over last year, it wasn't as bad as this.
"Over the last week or so, we've also had some snow, but this melted quickly and didn't cause any of the disruption that the mainland has experienced. It did last long enough though for the children to get a few snowmen built, which in itself is a rare experience on Canna."
11.25am:
Scotland correspondent Severin Carrell emails with more proof that at least some forecasters were warning of severe weather during Sunday and early Monday morning:
The Met Office's weather warnings Twitter feed was warning of heavy snow and icy conditions in the area of Scotland where hundreds of motorists were stranded yesterday.
These posts are from Sunday and Monday:
• @metofficeUK FLASH Warning of Heavy Snow for SW Scotland, Lothian & Borders valid
from 0945 Mon 06 Dec to 1500 Mon 06 Dec http://bit.ly/g4YaeU
@metofficeUK FLASH Warning of Heavy Snow for Central, Tayside & Fife valid from
0736 Mon 06 Dec to 1200 Mon 06 Dec http://bit.ly/dV8TbW
• @metofficeUK FLASH Warning of Widespread Icy Roads for SW Scotland, Lothian &
Borders valid from 0001 Mon 06 Dec to 1200 Mon 06 Dec
http://bit.ly/i5hRTN
Earlier Scotland's transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, admitted the weather forecast the government were given "appears to have been different" from that of some other forecasters.
More criticism about the Scottish authorities handling of the weather conditions, PA report:
Scottish Labour's transport spokesman, Charlie Gordon, said "serious questions" needed to be answered about the response from the authorities.
Gordon praised the emergency services for their work but added: "We have just experienced the worst gridlock in living memory and hundreds of drivers spent the night stranded in their cars.
"We have to ask serious questions about whether there was a failure of planning and Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson should come before Parliament and explain why he thinks things went so badly wrong."
Gordon added: "It is not good enough for the SNP Government to blame the weather forecast when heavy snow and ice was predicted by the BBC on Sunday night. Much clearer warnings should have been given telling people not to travel."
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jackson Carlaw, was also critical, saying this morning that the last 24 hours had been "truly desperate" for many travellers.
There is no point in pretending other than that there has been a total collapse of our transport infrastructure.
At the very least, most Scots will have expected that lessons should have been learned from last winter's snowfalls yet it is clear that once again our transport network is paralysed.
Today, our first priority is to assist anyone still in difficulty.
Thereafter, Stewart Stevenson must lead the Scottish Parliament in a full investigation into Scotland's preparedness for future severe winter weather and the co-ordination of our national response.
The Transport Minister must also clear up why the BBC forecast yesterday's snowfall but the Scottish Government apparently wasn't listening. Where did Stewart Stevenson get his advice?
While we cannot be prepared for every and any eventuality, it is our duty to ensure that Scotland's response is more effective than it patently currently is.
We must ensure that Scotland is better informed and prepared next time - recognising that 'next time' could be imminent.
The Met Office has extended its severe weather warnings – indicating that heavy snow is likely in Yorkshire and the north east of England.
The warnings, the second most severe in the Met Office's armoury, are in place from 12.30pm today. The agency's earlier notification (9.10am) of heavy snow in the north of Scotland remains in place.
Strathclyde Police, together with Central Scotland Police, Lothian and Borders Police and Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland, have urged people not to venture out today unless their journey is "absolutely essential".
Due to the extremely cold temperatures experienced across the central belt overnight, the gritting operation that has been carried out will not have had a significant impact on the ice that has built up on roads across the region.
People are therefore advised not to travel this morning unless it is absolutely essential.
My colleague Paddy Allen has created this map showing where some of the most severe transport disruption took place in Scotland yesterday.
Map: Scotland winter road chaos
On Twitter and in the comments section people pointing out that there was at least one forecast predicting heavy snow from 5am on Monday morning.
@shonac @AdamGabbatt snowforecast v clear tweet from central fm on Sun:FLASH Warning of Heavy Snow for Central, Tayside & Fife from 0500 Mon 06
Here's the tweet from Central FM:
@centralfm uh oh. it's gonna snow again! FLASH Warning of Heavy Snow for Central, Tayside & Fife valid from 0500 Mon 06 Dec... http://fb.me/Lpvgiy9S
9.46am:
The Scottish transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, has elaborated on his comments to the Today programme this morning by admitting that the weather forecast the government were given "appears to have been different" from that of some other forecasters.
Stevenson told BBC Radio Scotland that the authorities had been caught out by the severity of the weather yesterday, and would examine why the weather forecasts authorities were given was different to other predictions. Hundreds of people were left stranded in their cars overnight after heavy snowfall.
"We prepared for one set of weather yesterday morning - we had weather greater than we were ready for," Stevenson said.
He insisted staff had been making "quite heroic efforts", but added: "Today we're now facing temperatures so low that salt is no longer working on the network.
"We've actually seen snow ploughs damaged by the solidity of the ice on the M8."
Stevenson said the authorities would "have to look at the advice we had", adding that the weather forecast they were given "appears to have been different" from that of some other forecasters.
"I want to know why that's the case because we can't have that happening again," he said.
"That's a clear part of what we've got to look at to make sure that we improve."
And while he said the authorities "normally get it right", he added: "That's no comfort to the many people who have been stuck in their cars overnight in quite atrocious conditions."
"I think there is an acceptance that the advice we were working on did not meet the requirements. We can't allow that to happen again."
He said the road operating companies and local councils had been "making terrific efforts" to deal with the conditions, but added: "It simply hasn't delivered for the people who are stuck there.
"I think it's right that they know that we are sorry for the very, very considerable difficulties we have created for people, and by and large we're very grateful for the very substantial tolerance and patience people have shown."
Asked if he had considered his position, Stevenson said: "My focus this morning - and I'm sure this is what people will require of me, and of everyone else - is to resolve the problems.
"We will review our performance very carefully, once we've got the immediate problems dealt with. That I am sure is what people wish us to do."
Severe weather warnings are in place across the majority of Scotland, all of Northern Ireland, and north west England, north west Wales and south east England.
The Met Office is warning of heavy snow in northern Scotland and north west England, whereas motorists are warned of icy roads across all of the UK.
Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are open today after closing yesterday due to the weather, but officials are warning travellers to check with their airlines.
Looking at their websites (Glasgow, Edinburgh), however, it seems most flights are running as normal.
Belfast International airport is warning "It is expected that the severe weather may cause delays and cancellations to Tuesdays flights", while London City airports is warning that "some flights are experiencing minor delays due to earlier disruptions".
On the railways, the East Coast line between London and Edinburgh is still running a reduced service, while some Northern Rail services in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire are cancelled.
Stewart Stevenson, Scotland's transport minister, said last night: "Scotland has been in the grip of the worst snow and ice conditions in the early winter since the 1960s. Every effort has been made to keep disruption to a minimum."
This morning Stevenson has been interviewed on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He defended the government, local authorities and emergency services, insisting staff had been doing an "excellent job".
This might come as a surprise to the hundreds who were left shivering in their vehicles overnight.
Stevenson said: "I am sorry people have experienced difficulties...We have to review what happened. We have to ensure we don't have a repeat of this later in the winter."
He also promised to review communication with forecasters, saying saying that yesterday "we were working to slightly different parameters."
Were you stranded overnight? Are you stranded now? You can get in touch by tweeting me @adamgabbatt or email adam.gabbatt@guardian.co.uk
Hundreds of drivers stranded overnight in freezing temperatures were battling to get home today as police launched a huge operation to free up miles of gridlock.
Some motorists were stuck in their vehicles for more than 15 hours last night, as Scotland bore the brunt of a fresh wave of ice and snow which left several major routes impassable.
Police across the country's busy central belt have warned people not to travel unless it was "absolutely essential" – after temperatures plunged as low as minus 17C (1.4F) and hampered gritting efforts.
The deluge yesterday saw people sleep in their cars or abandon them on the highway as motorways and A roads clogged up. Around 100 children were also forced to sleep at their school after the bad weather prevented pupils, parents and staff from getting home.
North-east Scotland and north-west England face more snow today, with widespread icy roads expected up and down the country thanks to the freezing conditions.
At least nine people have so far died in the big freeze, with an elderly man found dead in snow at a Lincolnshire caravan park the latest victim.
There had looked to be some brief respite from the freezing conditions on the way later this week - with many places expected to have their first frost-free night for more than two weeks on Thursday.
Police struggled to get Scotland's busiest roads open overnight due to the number of abandoned and stranded cars. A statement issued on behalf of Strathclyde Police, Central Scotland Police, Lothian and Borders Police and Transport Scotland said:
The situation is being closely and constantly monitored.
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