Drivers marooned in their cars after snow blankets motorway
HUNDREDS of drivers were left stranded in their cars overnight after heavy falls of snow.
Mountain rescue teams were drafted in to check on motorists on the M74 in south-west Scotland after a foot of snow fell.
There was also heavy snowfall in the north of England, with warnings for snow upgraded to ‘severe’.
Schools in the Scottish Borders and rural north of England were shut yesterday, and drivers were warned of lengthy disruptions during rush hour.
There were widespread reports of vehicles getting trapped in icy conditions, with a video emerging of passersby desperately pushing a stranded ambulance in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
As the storm passed, Britain was bracing itself for more snow and winds of up to 80mph as Storm Fionn arrived.
A warning for wind was put out for the north of England, the Midlands and parts of the south-east, with fierce gusts forecast for last night and today.
Traffic Scotland closed parts of the M74 in both directions – with tailbacks for six miles. Moffat Mountain Rescue volunteers assisted by walking on the motorway and visiting drivers stuck in the tailbacks.
Mat Jackson, 29, a product manager with Siemens from Manchester, arrived home at 11.30am yesterday – having left Glasgow at 3.20pm on Tuesday. He said: ‘Leaving Glasgow we were stood still for around four hours, moving maybe 300 yards in total.
‘Every time gritters went by you thought “here we go” but the snow just came down harder, it was that thick you couldn’t see in front of you.’