Wonderland of white, but snow also had some serious effects
A YELLOW weather warning for ice was issued at the weekend for the whole of Wales this week.
The Met Office issued the warning for ice from midnight Sunday until 11am Monday.
The weather warning started just as a yellow weather warning for snow ended after a day in which much of Wales was hit by wintry conditions.
Another Met Office yellow warning was in place until midnight for all parts of Wales except Anglesey.
Up to 3cm of snow was expected to fall in the warning area on Sunday, with areas above 100m likely to see up to 10cm.
Pictures from across Wales showed snowfall, with some delays on the M4 reported and police warning of difficult conditions.
As a result of the weather warning, Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board decided to close all four community vaccination sites – in Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr – on Sunday following safety concerns for vulnerable people.
One community’s heroic effort helped to dig out two snow-trapped ambulance crews and a paramedic team trying to help sick, elderly patients.
The snow and icy roads ended up trapping a number of ambulance crews on a Treherbert street as they tried to reach a nursing home.
But within minutes of the people living in Ninian Street sending out a Facebook alert to neighbours that the crews were trapped on the hill, men were out with their shovels.
Others came with their quad bikes to help the ambulance crews to get up the hill to Ty Ross nursing home.
Mother-of-five and Bethan Hewitt resident said the actions of the 40-strong neighbourhood team had been incredible.
She said: “It was amazing how quickly a community came together – it was the Rhondda at its best.
“At 9.50am this morning there was an ambulance stuck on the hill, within minutes men on quad bikes were here after it went out on Facebook messenger.
“The crews had to leave their ambulances.
“All the men were out with their shovels, they had to take the crews on their quad bikes with their gear to Ty Ross.
“Another ambulance got stuck and hit a car as it went back down the hill, there was slight damage.
“A paramedic was also stuck and wasn’t able to get up the hill.”
She added: “A gentleman came in a Jeep to get to the front of the ambulance.
“There’s a giant grit box at the top of the street and they were filling sledfuls of grit to put on the road.
“Some as young as 14 and 15 were helping, there were 40 people helping, it was fantastic.”
Since lockdown, the neighbours have been chatting with each other through group chats for Ninian Street.
Mrs Hewitt added said: “With Covid we have a group chat in Ninian
Street.
“By the time the crews came back the road was gritted and the ambulances were dug out.
“It’s a horrific hill and we go through this every year – with the most vulnerable people in the care homes you would think it was gritted.
“It was so fantastic everything was done and dusted within 40 minutes and then they came to grit the hill.”
On Monday the Met Office warned that some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces may occur.
Icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths are likely.
The warning covers all of Wales and southern England as well as parts of north-west England.
The weather forecast for Wales this week predicts it will be largely dry and sunny for the start of the week.
The full forecast from the Met Office says: “A largely dry and sunny day, though the north may see the odd localised shower, and some cloud may develop inland during the afternoon. Maximum temperature 6C.
“Tuesday starts largely dry, though a band of rain edging in from the southwest.
“Wednesday Thursday cloudy outbreaks of rain, heavy, and winds.” and with possibly strong