Whiteout in Windermere
‘Worst snow for 50 years’ cuts off thousands in Lake District
IT’s an area of the country known for its breathtaking beauty and wide open spaces.
But that was cold comfort for the thousands of locals and tourists trapped in the Lake District yesterday by a huge snowfall.
Cumbria police had to declare a major incident when hundreds of drivers needed to be rescued from their cars when drifts more than a foot deep blocked roads and brought down power lines.
some reported being stranded for up to 19 hours without food or water before help came, and around 2,500 residents spent yesterday without electricity as engineers battled treacherous conditions to repair lines damaged by the shock blizzards, described by locals as the ‘worst in 50 years’.
The Met Office said saturday saw the coldest temperatures since last winter, with minus 12.5C (9.5F) recorded in Altnaharra in the Highland region of scotland.
Another six inches of snow was expected to fall in Cumbria last night before the weather was due to improve today. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain for the Midlands, northern England and scotland, which could cause havoc for commuters.
‘It could be ice-rink Monday,’
‘Started skiing down the road’
RAC spokesman simon Williams said. He urged staff to work from home if possible, adding: ‘There will be increased collisions and bumps and flat batteries. If you do drive, increase your braking distance and drive according to the conditions.’
Cumbria police said ice ‘will have a continued impact on Cumbria’s roads’ today and urged people not to travel to the region unless absolutely necessary.
It came after officers, fire crews and mountain rescue teams worked through the night to rescue motorists trapped in one foot of snow in the southern Lakes on saturday. Hundreds bunked down in schools, scout huts and church halls, or walked for hours to find refuge.
Many A-roads and the M6 – where several jack-knifed lorries blocked the motorway – were affected, and dozens of minor routes remained either closed or impassable yesterday. Although some snow was forecast on saturday, locals, tourists, motorists and, it seems, the Met Office were caught off guard by the heavy snowfall. Mike smith, 39, his partner, sammy Tancock, 38, and his three step-children were among 100 people forced to spend the night at Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary school, in Ambleside, after being stuck in their car for eight hours. The family had been to watch the annual Grizedale Forest Motor Rally when they became trapped.
Ambleside resident Jane Renouf told the BBC: ‘In all the years I’ve been here, which is over 50, I’ve never seen snow like it. It completely blanketed the town. It is about a foot deep.’
There were reports of people abandoning their vehicles to trudge for up to six hours home through the drifts, including one man who skied for over an hour from Ings to Bowness after traffic came to a standstill.
The man, known only as Rory, said: ‘I just got my ski touring kit out the boot and started skiing... At the bottom of the hill a load of people were clapping. It was good fun.’
Elsewhere in the North, locals were undeterred by the snowy conditions – including revellers in Leeds who took to icy pavements in high heels to enjoy the countdown to Christmas.