Gritters put on standby as wintery winds are forecast

COUNCIL road gritters were being prepared for action last night after forecasters warned of snow on the way.

The first signs of winter are coming with overnight frosts and ice – and possibly snow on hills in the north of England, the Met Office said.

Pointing out that a change from the current mild weather is expected this weekend, the forecaster tweeted: “The clocks will be going back this weekend, but so are the temperatures!!”

Stoke council tweeted: “We’ve held off as long as possible, but we need to talk snow, ice and all things brrrrrrr. Our gritters are now on 24-hour standby, ready to react to the weather. And with temperatures set to drop, you may see them in the next few days.”

John West, a Met Office meteorologist, described it as “a real change in feel from the mild weather due to high pressure in the UK and replaced by a strong northerly flow from the Arctic”.

“Wednesday was the last of the warmer days, with temperatures taking a tumble from tomorrow!” said the Met Office yesterday.

Temperatures of 61F (16C) in Aberdeen and 66F (19C) in Southampton yesterday will fall to 53F (12C) and 55F (13C) respectively today, 44F (7C) and 50F (10C) tomorrow and 43F (6C) and 46F (8C) on Saturday.

Mr West said: “While the thermometers will be making out at about 43F (6C) it will feel colder in that strong northerly wind.”

The difference will be felt in daytime temperatures, with westerly winds yesterday but northerly winds on Saturday. It looks like Saturday will be the coldest day, with temperatures recovering slightly on Sunday and showers becoming more confined to the east.