Flood fears grow as mercury rises

Last night the Environment Agency issued a flood warning for the North Sea coast from Bridlington to Barmston and residents throughout Yorkshire have been urged to be on their guard.

And while the upturn in temperatures may spell the end to the snow for now, forecasters have warned the spell of milder weather is likely to be "short-lived". Temperatures are expected to fall again in the middle of next week when there could be more snow.

A spokeswoman for the Met Office told the Yorkshire Post: "Next week we are looking at milder conditions.

"There is a possibility of a slight amount of rain today but on Sunday we are looking at temperatures of around 7-8 Centigrade. We might have a couple of days of it feeling colder, but not the conditions we have seen over the last week or so."

She said the problems with icy roads would continue in some areas over this weekend.

The icy weather led to health bosses in Sheffield recording their highest-ever admissions to Accident and Emergency in a single day on Wednesday this week with nearly 500 people treated for weather-related injuries.

Meanwhile dog lovers made sure their pets did not suffer in the cold with retailer Pets at Home reporting a 70 per cent increase in dog coat sales.

A lack of water caused by frozen pipes, power outages from fallen lines and impassable roads have contributed to a grim start to 2010 for Yorkshire's rural business community already battling the recession.

The Country Land and Business Association's Yorkshire regional director, Dorothy Fairburn, said the bad weather had caused a variety of operational issues for businesses. "Many of our members in more remote areas have experienced significant difficulty in actually reaching their livestock for feeding.

"Deliveries of feed and oil have also been exceptionally difficult on farms situated off un-treated minor roads. Some of our dairy farmers have had to dispose of milk that couldn't be collected, resulting in further financial losses at a time when many are struggling just to break even."

Various shooting events had to be cancelled while many farm shops around the region reported a downturn in trade.

Susie Cawood, head of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said: "Businesses in rural areas have faced disruptions as a result of snow, but as these businesses are more likely to expect adverse weather conditions they are usually better prepared, with contingency plans already in place."

One such business is the Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes which has not missed one milk supply pick-up or delivery to retailers despite the area being covered by a deep blanket of snow.

Managing director David Hartley said: "All our milk has been collected as usual on a daily basis, which is testimony to the job done by the

tanker drivers in difficult conditions."

n An 11-year-old girl died yesterday after she slipped on ice outside her primary school, police said. The youngster, named locally as Naeemah Accha, suffered a massive head injury when she hit the ground on Thursday outside St Michael with St John Primary School in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Residents warned to check pipes

Residents must check for signs of leaks as the snow melts and temperature begins to rise.

Yorkshire Water is urging customers to check pipes, particularly those who own a second or empty property, or have an external tap fitted to their home.

Low temperatures can lead to water in pipes freezing and as they do so they expand, putting enormous pressures on the pipes, which can result in cracks.

Problems can be overlooked while the water inside them is still frozen and only when the weather warms up can the bursts become apparent as the water starts to flow again.

Since the cold spell began back in December, the company has seen a huge surge in calls from customers concerned about frozen pipes in their homes, receiving more than 12,000 calls between December 19 and January 8.