Severe winter weather continued to wreak havoc across the UK, causing extensive disruptions in road, rail, and air traffic, as well as widespread power outages. Thousands of homes, particularly in Yorkshire, the Midlands, South West, and Wales, were left without electricity. According to reports, 86,000 homes were affected across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The National Grid was actively working to restore electricity after power outages were reported across several areas, including Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff. Efforts were underway to resolve most outages by early that afternoon, The Guardian reported.
The Independent reported that many roads in northern England, including major routes such as the A66 in County Durham and Cumbria, were impassable due to heavy snow and freezing rain, with local authorities reporting widespread closures. Stranded vehicles and collisions left key roads blocked, further exacerbating travel chaos.
Air travel was also affected. Airports including Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham were forced to close their runways for several hours due to heavy snowfall, although most had since reopened, BBC News reported. Passengers were warned to expect ongoing delays due to the weather conditions and were advised to check with their airlines for updates, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
"Teams are working to clear the airfield as quickly as possible but have been hampered by heavy snow," stated Manchester Airport, according to a report by Mirror. As a result of earlier closures, some departures and arrivals might still experience delays while teams worked to de-ice aircraft and clear walkways.
Rail services have not been spared, with disruptions and cancellations reported. NPR noted that many train services were canceled, and there were disruptions in transportation, including blocked roadways and numerous accidents on roads.
The Met Office issued multiple weather warnings, including two amber warnings for snow and ice, due to weather disturbances as temperatures plummeted over the weekend, The Guardian reported. An amber warning for snow was in effect until midnight on Sunday, covering the north of England and parts of the Midlands, with fears of power outages and travel delays, according to Sky News.
The Met Office warned that some rural areas, particularly at altitudes above 300 meters, could remain cut off due to heavy snow until the situation stabilized later on Sunday, Mirror reported. Higher ground in Wales and the southern Pennines could see snow accumulations of 15 cm to 30 cm, with some places expecting up to 40 cm by the end of Sunday, Sky News stated.
In Yorkshire, heavy snow brought disruption across the region, with commuters faced problems due to canceled trains, buses, and closed roads, BBC News reported.
The UK Health Security Agency's cold weather health alerts for all of England remained active, warning of an "increase in risk to health" due to extreme weather conditions and underscoring the health risks of the prolonged cold snap, The Guardian reported.
Looking ahead, the Met Office forecasted that frost and icy patches would continue through the early part of the week in the United Kingdom, The Independent noted. Monday and Tuesday would become drier with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers, although temperatures would remain below average, NPR reported.
Authorities continued to advise the public to exercise caution. The Guardian reported that motorists were warned to exercise extreme caution on the roads due to reduced visibility and slippery conditions, with chaos expected to continue until rush hour on Monday morning.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.