Ice warning as sub-zero temperatures continue during deep freeze

WEATHER EXPERTS have warned motorists and commuters to plan ahead for journeys today after temperatures continued to fall overnight.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice for Yorkshire, and experts last night said temperatures were likely to fall rapidly below freezing. The alert is in place until 11am today but motorists have been urged to plan ahead.

It comes as treacherous ice and snow continued to cause travel disruption across the country yesterday.

The deep freeze left thousands without power and hundreds of schools were forced to close, while commuters on the roads, rail and airways were hit by delays and cancellations.

The Met Office has extended its yellow weather warnings for snow and ice until 11am on Tuesday to cover vast swathes of the country, including London and the South-East, much of the Midlands, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as the eastern coast of England and Scotland.

Forecasters warned that clear skies last night could see temperatures drop as low as minus 15C in Wales and central England, potentially beating Sunday night’s low of minus 11.6C in Chillingham Barns, Northumberland.

Emergency services have warned motorists to drive with caution, even on motorways and major routes, with icy slush on the M40 between junctions two and three causing a van to flip over following a collision with two other cars.

Western Power Distribution said engineers worked through the night to restore power to 99,500 homes in the Midlands, South Wales and the South-West but 7,000 customers were still without electricity yesterday.