Brits face ‘Big Foot’ snow hell
Blast to bring FOOT of snow today
STORM Fionn is set to leave parts of Britain buried under a foot of snow today.
The forecast whiteout sparked fresh warnings after hundreds of stranded motorists were forced to sleep in their vehicles.
STORM Fionn will drop a further 12 inches of snow on Britain this morning – a day after mountain rescuers had to save stranded motorists from a blizzard.
Some 15 inches of snow fell yesterday, leaving thousands of drivers stuck in their cars for up to 13 hours.
But forecasters are predicting even worse conditions today as Britain is battered by “persistent and heavy snow”, and high winds which could bring power cuts and flying debris.
Hundreds of people were forced to sleep rough in their freezing motors on the M74 in Lanarkshire after being stranded in heavy snow.
Teams from Moffat Mountain Rescue helped clear the road and checked on freezing drivers trapped in the tailbacks.
Sam Sykes, from Biggar, South Lanarks, was stuck on the motorway for about 12 hours after finishing work at 6pm on Tuesday. He said: “It was really horrible as you would imagine.
“I got a little bit of sleep but the combination of cold and not knowing if you were going to be moving again restricted that.
“The length of time, the cold and the uncertainty of when it would start again was the worst part.”
Moffat Mountain Rescue assisted the operation to get the road clear by walking on the motorway and visiting drivers stuck in tailbacks.
On Facebook, the team posted: “We appreciate lots of people have been stuck for a number of hours. However we now appear to be over the worst of the snow.
“Traffic is now flowing northbound, albeit slowly, and we have a few hours ahead where we don’t expect any more snow fall.”
Scotland’s transport minister Humza Yousaf last night apologised to those stranded in cars – as Met Office bosses put out an amber warning for large areas of the country today.
Supplies
Anyone daring to drive in the wintry whiteout expected this morning has been warned to pack emergency supplies such as blankets and flasks.
Up to eight inches is expected to fall in the north of England and southern Scotland, with a foot of snow on higher ground.
A spokesman for the Met Office said: “A deepening area of low pressure is expected to track east across the UK during Wednesday night and early Thursday.
“A spell of persistent and heavy snow is expected to develop. Fresh snow is likely to accumulate widely.”
Yellow warnings extended further south as forecasters predicted heavy winds.
A spokesman added: “If you’re travelling then please allow extra time for your journey and bring extra equipment such as blankets, flasks of hot drinks and snacks in case you do get stuck.
“I would also urge people to make sure they are prepared for any power cuts by getting extra batteries for torches.”
Forecasters have warned snow could reach as far south as London today – and the wintry blast will continue over the next few days.