Fog, sleet and snow could disrupt UK and Ireland travel for ‘at least a week’
Freezing fog, sleet and snow are set to cause travel disruption for at least a week, with snow stopping planes in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and more bitter weather to come.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled out of Dublin airport with at least 23 outbound flights and 27 inbound flights cancelled so far on Saturday.
There were 69 departing flights and 74 inbound flights cancelled on Friday evening. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said the de-icing of planes had caused the delays.
On Saturday morning, Manchester airport temporarily closed both runways due to heavy snowfall, with dozens of flights affected.
One passenger, Simon Stephenson, told Sky News he had been due to fly to Reykjavik at 7.45am, but had been left sat on the plane which he had been told would be delayed until at least midday.
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Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe says we can expect the the cold weather to stay “for at least a week” with a mix of “wintry hazards, including frost, ice, sleet, snow and freezing fog” due to an “artic blast of cold weather”.
She forecasts “stubborn fog patches” on Saturday, with parts of the UK “feeling very cold with temperatures staying close to freezing in places”.
Wintry showers will bring “a risk of ice with snowfall mainly over higher ground” across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England. As the evening moves on “snowfall will reach lower levels as the temperature drops”.
It comes as the Met Office warned freezing fog, sleet and snow is likely to bring travel disruption in its wake.
As the bitterly cold weather continues, temperatures are set to stay low, hitting minus 10C (14F) in isolated areas on Saturday and Sunday.
Southeast England has been covered by a yellow weather warning for snow and ice, kicking in at 9am for most of London from 9am on Sunday and staying in place until 9am on Monday. There is a 30% chance of up to 5cm of snow.
The western coast of England, Wales and the north of Northern Ireland have warnings for ice on Saturday and Sunday.
Scotland, apart from the southwest, has a yellow warning for snow and ice covering Saturday and Sunday.
Temperatures in Co Donegal are around 0 to 4C and are due to drop to as low as minus 5C on Saturday night.
Travel disruption is expected to impact the working week, especially on Monday morning, and could include power cuts, problems with mobile phone coverage, and some rural communities being cut off.
Gritters have been out across the UK in a bid to keep motorways and major A-roads open. The RAC said the number of breakdown callouts has been 25% higher than usual.
Concerns have been raised in particular for the welfare of older people who live alone, for those sleeping rough, and asylum seekers housed in tented accommodation.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is advising people to look out for friends and family who are vulnerable in the cold and to ensure they have access to warm food and drinks, adding that people should maintain indoor temperatures of at least 18C (64.4F).
Dr Agostinho Sousa, consultant in public health medicine at the agency, advised people to “keep your bedroom windows closed at night,” adding that “wearing several layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thicker layer.”
Local councils and charities have opened more than 3,200 “warm banks” are open across the UK, to help people keep warm if they cannot afford to heat their homes.
The Warm Welcome Campaign said many of these are a third or half full and offer services including hot tea and a place to work.
Save the Children said 194 of 355 councils in England and Wales are involved in or supporting local groups to open warm spaces this winter.
Becca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children UK, said: “Families should not be in a position where they are agonising over whether to put the heating on in sub-zero temperatures. Parents have told us they will risk going into debt to keep their children warm.”
Councillor Richard Wenham, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association’s resources board, said the emergency schemes “should not become the norm” and are “not a sustainable solution to bridge the gap between income and the current cost of living”.
It comes as people on the lowest incomes in hundreds of affected postcode districts in England and Wales are set to receive a £25 cold weather payment as a result of the conditions.
Payments of £25 are issued automatically to certain regions when the average temperature is recorded or is forecast to be 0C or below for seven days in a row.