Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Molly Dowrick

Drivers stuck in the snow as wintry weather brings major road to a standstill

This is the wintery scene on a major road in Denbighshire, North Wales as thick snow almost brings traffic to a standstill. Whilst the A55 is currently open, traffic has been moving very slowly as motorists navigate the dangerous driving conditions.

Earlier, gritters were out in force on the A55 after ice on the road saw a collision on the eastbound carriageway between junction 4 Llanfihangle and junction 5 Gwalchmal.

As reported by our colleagues at NorthWalesLive, officers at Traffic Wales later said they'd received reports of some cars "getting stuck in snow on county roads" as they tried to divert away from the incident and treacherous conditions at Rhuallt Hill, near Prestatyn.

Read more: The weather forecast in Wales for the next three days as temperatures set to hit -8C

Wales is currently in the grip of an "arctic air mass" and the latest Met Office forecast estimates temperatures could fall to as low as -8C in some parts of Wales in the coming days.

Whilst some families have been enjoying the sight of snow and frost on their windows, houses and gardens, others are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential impact of the cold, snowy weather on their health, car and bus journeys - and the inevitable need to turn the heating on a little higher to combat the cold, bringing an extra expense to an already pricey time of year.

Unfortunately, today's cold weather is expected to continue into the night. On Saturday night, the Met Office has predicted temperatures could drop to -9 in England and -7.9 in Wales. Plus, the current Met Office weather warning for ice has been extended to cover tomorrow (Sunday, December 11).

(Met Office)


WalesOnline spoke to a Met Office meteorologist to gain a deeper understanding on the weather warning. The meteorologist, Rachel, said: "We do have a snow and ice warning that covers most of Wales with just a few exceptions like the central and eastern areas through today, and that goes through to Sunday at midday. It also covers wintry showers and also for some icy patches.

"There will be freezing temperatures again tonight that could cause some icy stretches on roads over the weekend, as well as the snow, particularly seeing some accumulations of a few centimetres over high ground in northern Wales."

Fortunately for many, the UK Government has announced £25 "cold weather payments" to people on the lowest incomes in hundreds of postcodes in England and Wales. The payments will be triggered if eligible households see temperatures recorded as, or are forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days. You can read more about this and see the areas in Wales that will benefit in a previous article here.

READ MORE

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.