UK weather news – latest: Coldest night brings heavy snow as thousands still without electricity
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Temperatures dropped to as low as -10C last night following forecasts of the “coldest night of the season” for parts of the UK bringing snow and leaving some without power as Storm Arwen continued to batter the UK.
The Met Office has issued yellow warnings of severe ice across large swathes of England including Newcastle, Manchester, London and Cardiff following freezing temperatures through the night.
North West Motorway Police said 120 lorries became “stuck in the snow” on the M62.
Northern Powergrid, which supplies energy to the northeast, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, said 240,000 customers lost service but on Sunday supply had been restored to 200,000.
Electricity North West, which provides energy for an area between the Scottish border and Stockport, said 67,000 of 83,000 customers who lost power had seen their supply restored.
Heavy snow led to lorries getting stuck and ploughs being used in a number of areas, with pub staff and Oasis tribute band Noasis stranded since Friday in the Tan Hill Inn in the Yorkshire Dales as a result of heavy snowfall.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog covering the latest in UK weather as the nation battles snow and ice following the “coldest night of the season.”
‘Coldest night of season’ forecast as thousands still without power after Storm Arwen
Amid the damage and disruption of Storm Arwen which has left three dead, forecasters warned that last night was the “coldest night” of the Autumn season with temperatures reaching as cold as -10C in some parts of the UK.
The Met Office said it expected to see the mercury fall below zero in many parts of the country, including in cities such as London, where it was forecast to be as cold as -2C in the late hours of Sunday.
Our reporters Grace Almond and Tom Batchelor have the full story below:
‘Coldest night’ forecast as thousands still without power after Storm Arwen
Met Office issues yellow ice warnings across the UK
The Met Office issued multiple yellow ice warnings covering eastern parts of Scotland and stretching from the north east of England down to the south coast including London
The warnings, set to last until Monday morning, say people should expect to see “icy patches” on roads and pavements, meaning accidents and slips and falls are “more likely”.
Storm Arwen: Thousands still without power
Thousands of people across the UK are spending their third night without power amid disruption caused by Storm Arwen. The storm, which has left three dead, has seen gusts of up to 100mph.
Nearly 40,000 customers were still without electricity in Scotland on Sunday, with large numbers also affected in England and Wales.
SP Energy Networks - which covers central and southern Scotland - said 6,000 customers were still affected mainly in Dumfries, Fife, the Lothian and the Borders. The company also had 5,000 customers without power in England and Wales.
In its most recent update Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) - which covers the north of Scotland - said about 32,000 customers were still without supply.
SSEN’s director of customer operations Mark Rough called the incident “one of the most significant weather events we have experienced in decades”.
Companies working ‘through the night’ to restore electricity hit by Storm Arwen
SP Energy Networks which covers electricity supplies across central and southern Scotland said it’s been working through the night to restore energy to 6,000 customers.
The supplier shared images on Twitter of damaged utility poles hit by fallen trees amid Storm Arwen.
“We know there are still customers without supply, and our teams are working through the night to get as many back on as possible,” SP Energy Networks wrote
Storm Arwen traps customers in Yorkshire Dales’ Tan Hill Inn for third night
Staff at a pub cut off by snow were preparing a karaoke evening on Sunday as they expect guests to be unable to escape for a third night.
More than 60 people have spent two nights camped out at Britain’s highest pub due to heavy snowfall brought on by Storm Arwen.
Customers first became stranded at the Tan Hill Inn, in the Yorkshire Dales, on Friday night after going to watch an Oasis tribute band called Noasis. Those staying at the inn, which is 1,732ft above sea level, woke up to around 3ft of snow.
Due to a fallen power line and snow blocking the main routes out, they have been unable to leave since.
Our reporter Sam Hancock has the full story below:
Storm Arwen traps customers in Britain’s highest pub for third night
UK 5 day weather forecast
According to the Met Office today will see a cold start with some icy stretches and fog patches with cloud and rain in northwest, with a little snow on the leading edge over Scotland, moving south along with strengthening winds.
Tonight is forecasted to be mostly cloudy and milder than recent nights with light rain at times for many. Rain most persistent in the northwest. Perhaps an early frost in the southeast before becoming milder.
Tuesday is forecasted to be cloudy with some strong winds and rain, this becoming heavier and more widespread during the afternoon in the north, then moving southeast. Much milder than recently, particularly in the south.
It’s forecasted that rain will begin clearing from early Wednesday with blustery showers across eastern areas on Thursday. Friday will then see the return of snow across the north.
‘Renowned’ and ‘dedicated’ headteacher among victims of falling trees during severe weather
Tributes have been paid to Francis Lagan, a “renowned educationalist and civic leader” who was one of three people in the UK killed by falling trees during the high winds brought by Storm Arwen.
The community in South Derry was said to be “stunned” by the sudden loss of Mr Lagan, who worked as the principal of St Mary’s Primary School in Maghera.
He was killed when a tree struck his car while travelling along the Dublin Road in County Antrim with his wife and two of their children on Friday.
Our reporter Andy Gregory has the full story below:
Tributes paid to ‘renowned’ headteacher killed by falling tree in Storm Arwen
Will there be a white Christmas this year?
As Britons braved snowy weather and freezing temperatures this weekend, the prospect of a white Christmas has begun to excite many.
However, it is too soon to begin making predictions with any confidence but, interestingly, The Mirror reports that uncertainty currently reigns to such an extent that the Met Office and the BBC are said to be “at war” over the issue, so opposing are their respective forecasts.
While the former is predicting months of only mild weather ahead “consistent with a warming climate”, the latter, which takes its information from private contractor Data Transmission Network, says the UK is about to be hit by a deep freeze.
Our reporter Joe Sommerlad has the full story:
Will there be a White Christmas in 2021?
Waze to alert UK drivers of road disruptions amid Storm Arwen damage
The live sat-nav app Waze will be reflecting weather disruptions on UK roads on its live map.
Through push notifications, it is encouraging its users to report hazards caused by the bad weather when using the app to help keep fellow drivers aware of what may be ahead of them.
Ruairidh Roberts, UK Country Manager at Waze, commented: "As parts of the UK have faced the effects of the arctic plunge and Storm Arwen, we urge motorists making essential journeys to be extra diligent.”
“At Waze, we are expecting delays around the country as the turbulent weather causes chaos on British roads. As a result, we’ve sent out push notifications to our app users, encouraging them to report hazards caused by the bad weather, helping to keep fellow drivers safe and aware of what may be ahead of them on the roads.”
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