The South West is set to wake up to slippery and dangerous roads tomorrow, as today’s snow, sleet and rain freezes overnight. Parts of the South West faced significant snowfall throughout the day, leading to road closures that stranded drivers for hours, and prompted school closures in anticipation of more disruptive weather tomorrow.
The Met Office has warned of further weather chaos; forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning for ice overnight, as temperatures cause today’s rain to freeze. It said: “Following rain and snow, many cold wet surfaces are likely to freeze later tonight, producing icy conditions in places.”
Yellow and amber weather warnings for snow were in place in Devon and Somerset today (Wednesday, January 8) as large flurries wreaked havoc on roads in the region. While only some parts of Somerset were included in the warnings, the latest alert extends to Bristol, Bath and up to Stroud in Gloucestershire.
Temperatures could drop to -2C in Bristol and the surrounding areas, while typically milder coastal areas will still see lows below freezing. Road temperatures are expected to plummet overnight, with some areas reaching -5C, prompting a warning that surfaces may be hazardous.
The Met Office stated: “Surfaces have been left wet and cold following Wednesday evening’s rain and snow. While some surfaces may dry out before they freeze, it is likely that many untreated surfaces may become icy and hazardous overnight into Thursday morning – this will tend to happen sooner in the west, some eastern areas perhaps marginal for freezing.”
Bristol City Council and St Mungos have activated a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), amid the plunging temperatures this week. The emergency response, enabling increased outreach to rough sleepers, is currently set to run until January 10. Locals in Bristol are being urged to:
- Dial 999 if someone needs emergency help.
- Encourage anyone they see rough sleeping in Bristol to call 0117 4070330 to speak to the Outreach team. You may call on their behalf if they are not able to call themselves.
- Remember that www.streetlink.org.uk is not an emergency service – St Mungo’s does not get the referrals immediately so it’s best to use 0117 4070330 when the severe weather response is activated, except in cases where 999 emergency services should be contacted.