2 days ago
Parts of country could see 25cm of snow on Sunday
Part of the country could see up to to 25cm of snow on Sunday, according to Highways.
Its severe weather warning for snow will be in place in England until midnight tonight.
In the north almost a foot of snow could could hit roads including the A628 Woodhead Pass, connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.
Drivers should be wary of ice, Highways warned, if rain falls on frozen ground.
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Health secretary defends axeing winter fuel payments amid sub zero temperatures
Wes Streeting says that withdrawing winter fuel payments from pensioners “might be unpopular” following health service advice to keep home heated during this weekend’s cold snap.
The Health Secretary answered questions on Sunday about his advice to “turn the heating on”, after heavy snowfall of up to 12cm fell overnight in parts of the country.
Conservative Party chairman Nigel Huddleston described Streeting’s advice as “cruel”.
The Government axed universal payments of up to £300 to help with pensioners’ heating bills, last year. Cold winter payments are now only available to claimants of certain benefits such as pension credit.
Streeting argued that winter support remains available for the poorest pensioners. “The Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) did protect winter fuel allowance for the poorest pensioners. There is the warm homes discount (which) people should see if they’re eligible for,” Streeting told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News.
“So in terms of protecting the poorest pensioners this winter, the Government is taking action. Of course, that doesn’t mean that getting rid of the winter fuel allowance for others has been a popular decision.”
“The reason we’ve been wanting to make unpopular decisions in the last six months is to get Britain out of the massive hole it was left in.
“So they might be unpopular decisions now, but I hope they’ll be decisions that in the longer run people thank us for when they see the country improving.”
Power outages affecting thousands of homes
The Grid reports that power cuts leave thousands of homes without power. Outages have occurred from east Yorkshire, much of the midland Midlands, throughout Wales, the southwest of England and Cornwall.
“Whatever the weather, we will work to restore power supplies quickly and safely for you,” a message reads on the utility company’s website.
Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert with Which?, advises that passengers experiencing heavy flight delays due to adverse weather conditions are unlikely to receive compensation from airlines.
"That doesn’t mean that airlines shouldn’t still be offering assistance to passengers, though, said Webb. “Depending on how long you’re delayed, this could include free food and drink - usually in the form of vouchers - as well as overnight accommodation if it becomes necessary.
If your flight is cancelled, you have the choice of being rerouted by the airline or accepting a refund. If you opt for rerouting, your airline is obliged to get you on a new flight as soon as possible - even if this means with a rival carrier. If you instead choose to be refunded, you should know that your airline will no longer need to assist you in completing your journey.
It’s also worth checking the terms of your travel insurance to see if you are able to recoup any other expenses you may have incurred as a result of the delays, such as car hire or airport parking fees.”
Flights about to take off from Manchester Airport after runway closures
Flights are now landing at Manchester Airport according to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website.
No flights have departed from the airport since two runways were closed this morning.
Flight are expected to depart within the next hour.
Some flights, such as the TS206, from Toronto, was scheduled to land at 7.10am, but was sent to Paris instead. It is now en route to Manchester.
Liverpool say “every effort” is being made for their home game with Manchester United to take place on Sunday amid adverse weather conditions on Merseyside, with a decision expected just after midday…
The English Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield looks like it will kick off as planned today.
Liverpool FC writes on social media: “At this stage the match is planned to go ahead as normal and every effort is being made to get the game on.
“A further safety meeting will take place again at midday to assess the latest conditions.
“We will update supporters just as soon as we can. Please take extra care out there, Reds.”
Our picture desk have put together a gallery of today’s weather.
Rachel Hall
Heavy overnight snow in Wales and northern England is causing travel disruption as the new year gets off to a cold start.
Two amber weather warnings from the Met Office have been put in place in England and Wales. Snowfall of 3cm to 7cm is predicted, with freezing rain likely to follow, creating treacherous conditions.
The Met Office said Bingley, West Yorkshire had seen 12cm of snow up to 7am on Sunday, with Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig, Gwynedd both seeing 10cm…
Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (Sweps) are in place across the UK to help rough sleepers off the streets this weekend.
However, he protocols don’t work for everyone. Stuart Potts, who runs the Saving People Shelter Project in Manchester, says he is still getting phone calls from people wanting to stay in his shelter, which he runs from his own home in Middleton. “The council can’t be getting everyone off the street if I’m still getting referrals,” he said. “A lot of vulnerable people don’t want to go into shelters because they’re scared of sharing a room with some of the people you find on the street, who might be drunk or on drugs.”
EasyJet has apologised for disruption at Bristol airport.
Some flights at the airport were diverted to alternative locations and some flights to and from the airport were unable to operate, after Bristol temporarily closed its runway.
“We made arrangements for passengers on diverted flights to continue by road, where possible, and will reimburse those needing to make their own arrangements,” EasyJet told Sky News.
“Any customers whose flights have been cancelled have been notified and provided with the option to transfer to an alternative flight free of charge, or receive a refund and we provided hotel accommodation and meals where it was available.
“Although the airport has now reopened customers due to fly to and from Bristol today are advised to check the status of their flights via our Flight Tracker for the latest information.
“While this is outside our control, we are sorry to customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of the weather.”
Some more travel updates:
In a social media post, Newcastle airport said: “The Airport continues to experience heavy and continuous snowfall and teams are working across the site to keep passengers and colleagues safe.
“We continue to see some disruption to the flight schedule and recommend passengers visit our website or app for the latest flight information, or contact their airline.”
Poor weather is currently affecting various train routes as Great Western Railway, Northern, ScotRail and TransPennine Express services may also be affected.
Leeds Bradford airport says it is aiming to re-open its runway later today.
“The runway is currently closed, our teams are working hard to clear snow and minimise the impact on flight schedules,” it said in a statement.
“We are hoping to re-open the runway at 12pm, however this is subject to change.”
Manchester airport reopens runways
Manchester airport has just reopened both runways after closing them this morning.
In a statement on X, Manchester said some departures and arrivals “may still experience delays as teams work to de-ice aircraft and clear walkways”.
“Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and allow extra travel time today,” the airport added.
Liverpool John Lennon airport’s runway will reopen at 10:15. It advises that there are delays to flights and urges people to contact their airline directly.
If you have pets be careful when using de-icer products during this cold snap warns the RSPCA
The charity asks drivers to keep antifreeze in labelled, robust, sealed containers, away from pets; clean up even small spills immediately and make sure animals are excluded from the area until it’s clean.
“Pets die every year from accidental poisonings from antifreeze spills and leaks, as well as from leaking water coolant from cars, but most of these deaths are avoidable,” the RSPCA says.
“In the coldest months, your cat must have access to a warm environment, such as your home or another heated indoor area,” the charity advises.
Liverpool v Man Utd to go ahead as planned pending inspection
Officials now say the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United will go ahead pending a further inspection.
“A safety meeting was held this morning to assess the weather and travel conditions for today’s fixture against Manchester United at Anfield,” a Liverpool statement read.
“At this stage the match is planned to go ahead as normal and every effort is being made to get the game on,” it added.
“A further safety meeting will take place again at midday to assess the latest conditions.”
Sky Sports News reports that the League 2 fixture between Fleetwood and AFC Wimbledon has been called off due to safety concerns.
