Heavy Snow in UK Hits Transport; London Braces for Strong Winds

Heavy snowfall in several parts of UK has disrupted normal life, with public transport cancelled and more than 280 schools in Northern Ireland closed.

Tuesday evening saw The Moffat Mountain Rescue Team being called in to help drivers in Lanarkshire, who were stuck in their cars on the M74 for several hours due to heavy snowfall. According to reports, quite a number of people were stuck for up to 11 hours.

The situation is not expected to improve much on Wednesday as yellow snow warnings are still in place until 6 pm for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is going to be quite windy as well, with North Wales said to be at most risk of damaging winds.

The Met Office said: "A gradual improvement is likely on Wednesday for most areas.

"Travel delays on roads are likely, as are public transport cancellations, and some vehicles may become stranded, more especially on higher routes.

"There is a chance of power cuts, while services such as mobile phone coverage may be affected."

London is also braced for fierce winds on Wednesday following showers of snow, sleet and hail on Tuesday night. Fierce winds are expected to hit the capital Wednesday evening and move across the country overnight. Transportation networks may be affected as a result of fierce winds, and there are chances of power cuts as well.

“The strongest winds are expected to transfer eastwards across the warning area before clearing by late morning,” the Met Office warned.

“Road, rail and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations. There is also a possibility that some bridges may close.”

The Met Office also warned of injuries and danger to life from flying debris, and indicated some damage to buildings.