Transport disrupted as more snow falls

The weather caused transport problems around the south of the region yesterday as it disrupted bus and train services. Roads were closed and motorists told to stay off the roads unless their journeys were essential.

Forecasters said the heavy snowfall followed by a faster thaw would lead to hazardous driving conditions this morning because salt from gritting lorries has been washed away.

A Meteogroup spokesman said: "What happens in February is that the sun is stronger so the snow does not hang around as it did in December and January.

"We see the snow melting and washing salt off the roads. This will leave us with a bit of an ice rink on the roads in the morning once the temperatures drop below freezing overnight.

"This winter is shaping up to be the coldest for 30 years. There is a 95 per cent chance that the period will have been the coldest since the winter of 1977-78.

"For people under the age of 40 who did not see the winter of 1962-63, this will be the second coldest winter they have lived through and for many people under the age of 30 it will be the coldest winter they have ever experienced.

"There was more snowfall during the winter of 1980-81 but this year it has been colder and it has lasted for much longer."

Winter temperature is measured in a three-month block from December to February and forecasters warn that snow is expected to continue toward the end of the month.

Temperatures were expected to drop as low as minus 5C in Yorkshire last night with more snowfall expected to hit the region by tomorrow afternoon or evening.

The heavy snow in South Yorkshire yesterday led to bus services in Sheffield being called off completely, while those in Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley were running a reduced service on main roads only.

Some local rail services were also affected by signalling problems caused by the winter weather.

A broken down train was being removed from a railway track last night after more than 24 hours blocking the line.

The 2.55pm London St Pancras to Sheffield service came to a halt near Market Harborough in Leicestershire on Saturday, forcing 200 passengers to change trains.

No one was injured during the incident, but travellers faced disruption yesterday, taking a diversionary route while the train blocked the line.

East Midlands Trains said the train suffered a "mechanical failure", adding that the track had also sustained damage, which will lead to a "significantly reduced" timetable over the next couple of days.

Police issued a warning to motorists to only drive where necessary, as South Yorkshire's four councils said they were gritting only major routes.

Several minor accidents were reported to police yesterday morning and roads on high ground were closed.

They included the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A616 Stocksbridge bypass, but all were reopened by midday after being treated with salt. Several events were called off, particularly in the Peak District, where a wedding fair at Chatsworth House was cancelled.

About 10cm of snow fell on higher ground in the Pennines overnight, with areas of Kirklees and Calderdale badly affected.

In North Yorkshire an 11-year-old girl needed hospital treatment after injuring her shoulder and cheekbone in a sledging accident at Helmsley just before 2pm yesterday. She was taken to York Hospital.

There were snow showers across East Yorkshire in the morning, which briefly settled and then thawed, giving way to rain in the afternoon. The snowfall had passed north beyond the region by yesterday afternoon but a covering of up to 10cm was expected to remain on higher ground.

Wales and parts of the Midlands and North of England bore the brunt of the latest icy blast with Manchester Airport temporarily shut yesterday morning as snow was cleared from the runways. About 13 flights were affected by the weather.

The North of England is expected to have a foggy start to today before patches clear to make way for fine weather.