Brutal ‘snow bomb’ plunges Britain into chaos: Shock blizzard sees hundreds of people stranded and cars abandoned in the roads in ‘major incident’ in Cumbria
Published: 12:25, 3 December 2023 | Updated: 14:18, 3 December 2023
A brutal snow bomb has wreaked havoc across the UK as hundreds of people were left stranded and forced to abandon their cars in Cumbria.
Cumbria Police declared a major incident after more than a foot of snow descended on the county’s roads, which last night forced hundreds of people travelling in the region to ditch their vehicles and desperately seek temporary accommodation.
Around 140 people took shelter in a parish centre in the town of Ambleside as social centres across the county were opened up to care for those caught in the blizzard, which has today left over 2,500 people without power.
Other areas of the UK have also been hit with Arctic conditions as cold air has swept across from the north, bringing with it freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, widespread frosts and freezing fog.
The Met Office[2] today issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in eastern Scotland from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday, warning that wintry showers and and snow on icy surfaces will cause delays to travellers and could result in injuries.
A yellow weather warning for ice in the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the north of England, and much of north and central Wales was issued from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday, which could also lead to difficult travel conditions.
The Met Office today issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice in eastern Scotland from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday, warning that wintry showers and and snow on icy surfaces will cause delays to travellers and could result in injuries
One woman is seen traipsing through the snow after abandoning her vehcle in Grasmere in Cumbria after more than a foot of snow descended on the county’s roads
Passengers in Windermere were today forced to get of the bus they were on and push it after the vehicle got stuck in the snow
A car that has been abandoned following the heavy snowfall last night on the A591 in Grasmere
The scene on the A591 between Kendal and Windermere in Cumbria on Saturday
A van is pushed onto the snowbound A591 between Kendal and Windermere on Saturday evening
Stationery traffic next to some snowmen on the A591 between Kendal and Windermere where heavy snow brought vehicles to a standstill for hours on Saturday
Main roads were blocked as cars were abandoned and lorries jack-knifed in the treacherous conditions.
Police, fire and volunteer mountain rescue teams worked late into Saturday night rescuing people caught in the blizzard.
Coniston Sports and Social Centre catered for 35 people, while at Ambleside Parish Centre 140 people bedded down over night. Braithwaite Hall and Esthwaite Primary School was also opened for stranded travellers.
Coniston Sports and Social Centre treasurer Charlotte Crisp said: ‘They were wet and cold and were very thankful for the warm drinks and food we put on.
‘Our volunteers fetched break and milk from the local shops and the community rallied round to bring bedding.
‘There was one group of 17 young adult walkers who had to abandon their attempts to get through the snow.
‘We had 14 inches of snow in Conston which wasn’t forecast at all. Everyone got away by Sunday lunchtime.’
Ambleside Parish Centre facilities manager Shan Porter said: ‘There were people with kids and puppies.
One woman had been trying to meet up with family in Keswick for her 60th birthday and got stranded.
‘The local community were amazing, bring bedding like duvets and pillows so we could make them comfortable.
‘The local police were checking everyone in and making sure people who needed medication were cared for. It was a massive group effort.’
A lot of the stranded people were in the area for the annual Grizedale Forest Motor Rally which had to be abandoned.
Superintendent Andy Wilkinson, Cumbria Constabulary, said: ‘The snow ended up being much more significant than forecast.
‘We continue to ask people to not travel and to only do so if absolutely necessary.’As well as Coniston and Ambleside, community facilities were opened in Windermere, Grizebeck, Sawry, Bowness, Troutbeck, Staveley and Hawkshead.
Cumbria Police urged people not to travel to the countyas they shared a photo of one of their 4x4s in a snowy scene and said they were helping vehicles who had got stuck
People in Cumbria were forced to abandon their cars last night and find shelter in nearby accommodation
A family walks past a tractor as it plows throught the snow after abandoning their car and walking for nine hours in Cumbria
Several cars were abandoned on the road near Windermere in Cumbria, as others struggled to drive on throught the heavy snow
Sedgefield in County Durham is pictured buried under snow as temperatures remain sub zero and weather warnings are put in place
A man clears snow from his driveway in Keele, Staffordshire on Sunday morning
A dog walker enjoys a coastal walk in the snow in Tynemouth, North Tyneside this morning
Families have flocked to the Town Moor in Newcastle to enjoy a day of sledging in the snow
A man walks in the snow, Keele, Staffordshire on Sunday morning after a night of heavy snow
People walk through the snow beside the beach huts at Blyth in Northumberland, as temperatures are tipped to plunge to as low as minus 11C in parts of the UK over the weekend
Cumbria Police said a multi-agency response was ongoing on Saturday evening to ‘minimise the challenges that heavy snowfall is continuing to have on the county’s road network’.
It has urged people not to travel to the county on Sunday unless necessary, adding that some highway teams had been ‘verbally abused’ as they attempted to deal with the situation.
In a post on social media, Cumbria Police said: ‘A yellow weather warning for ice is in place for tomorrow morning which will have a continued impact on Cumbria’s roads.
‘We would also urge people not to travel to the county tomorrow unless necessary.’
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said it was utilising its 4 x 4 vehicles to help ‘vulnerable people stuck in the snow as required’, adding that it was assisting at reception centres.
Cumbria Police said the M6 southbound between J38 and J37 was blocked on Saturday due to jackknifed lorries and that the A595 between Millom and Furness was impassable.
National Highways said it was also dealing with a large number of stranded vehicles on Saturday evening, particularly on the M6 between J38 and J40.
Cumbria Police issued a number of further road closures and delay warnings just after midnight on Sunday, with the A591 Windermere Road (Plumgarth Roundabout, Kendal) to Wythburn and A5092 between Whicham and Greenodd impassable due to heavy snowbanks and frozen conditions.
Police urged residents to stay indoors and to check the traffic map on the Cumbria Police website if travel is needed.
Electricity North West’s list of live power cuts at 10am showed that 2,508 customers were affected across Cumbria, including 256 in Lowick, South Lakeland.
In most cases, the electricity operator estimates that power will be restored at 10pm on Sunday. In a post on social media, Electricity North West said: ‘Access is difficult and our teams are using 4x4s to try to reach sections of the damaged network.’
Spokesman Jonny Morgan said: ‘The snow came down heavily and we’ve had a few power cuts in remote areas.
Around 7,000 properties were cut off because of the snow bringing down power lines. We’ve restored 5,000 of them already but we’ve still got 2,000 to go. We’re focused on trying to get engineers out to repair the damage.’
Mr Morgan said ‘realistically’ some remote properties would not have power restored until 10pm this evening and residents in those areas should try to make a ‘plan,’ including finding alternative shelter until electricity is restored.
Ambleside resident Jane Renouf told the BBC the snow falls were the worst she had witnessed in 50 years.
‘In all the years I’ve been here, which is over 50, I’ve never seen snow like it,’ she said.
‘It has completely blanketed the town.
It is about a foot deep.’
Many A-roads in the southern Lakes remained impassable, with motorists reporting being stranded for up to 19 hours without food or water overnight.
Richard Warren, chairman of the Lake District Search and Rescue Association, said: ‘I’ve never seen snow like it. We had the Beast from the East in 2018, which was pretty horrific. The good thing about it was that there was very little wind but in certain areas we’ve been checking there is a foot of snow on cars.’
The snow-covered peak of Beinn Eighe and the mountains of Torridon are reflected in Loch Droma near Ullapool in Scotland
Fresh snow at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland, as temperatures are tipped to plunge to as low as minus 11C
People walk through the snow beside the beach huts at Blyth in Northumberland
Snow covers the picturesque market town of Knaresborough this morning in North Yorkshire
A layer of freezing fog shrouds the tops of cranes in Greenwich in South East London
Earlier on Saturday, Cumbria Police said it was aware of multiple reports of vehicles stuck in traffic in the South Lakes area, particularly in the Bowness and Grizedale areas, because of snow.
Roads in Cumbria to avoid due to weather as county declares a ‘major incident’
- A591 Windermere Road (Plumgarth Roundabout, Kendal) to Wythburn – Severe delays and road is impassable due to snow.
- A592 between Newby Bridge and Windermere both ways just passable due to snow.
- A593 between Skelwith Bridge and Ambleside – both ways just passable due to snow.
- A590 Greenodd to Newby Bridge – both ways just passable long delays, queueing traffic due to snow from. o A595 Kirkby-in-Furness and Grizebeck – just passable and queuing traffic due to snow.
- A6 from Kirkby’s Stephen Hill turn off (Shap) to Garth Row (Garth Row) both ways just passable, queueing traffic due to snow.
- Harras Road in Whitehaven – queuing traffic between York Terrace and Red Lonning.
- B5286 between Clappersgate and Hawkshead – queuing traffic and just passable.
- Woodhouse Road in Whitehaven – queuing traffic between the B5345 St Bees Road and Fell View Avenue.
- A5092 between Whicham and Greenodd – Queueing traffic and road impassable due to snow both ways.
- M6 southbound between J38 (Tebay) and 37 (Kendal) – traffic is now moving following an incident of jack-knifed lorries.
List by South Lakes Police
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Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: ‘We are continuing to see challenging conditions in Cumbria.
‘Agencies across the county have been working hard and will be into the night in response to the impact of heavy snowfall.
‘We are aware of a number of incidents in which highway teams and those assisting in the efforts to support those affected by the snow have been verbally abused.
‘We understand people’s frustration during this time; however, agencies are working hard to improve the situation in Cumbria and are also facing the challenging road conditions when responding.
‘The snow today ended up being much more significant than forecast and the amber warning that was put in place this afternoon is in place until midnight and, with a yellow warning from snow and ice tomorrow, we expect to continue to see challenging road conditions whilst these warning are in place.
Therefore, we continue to ask people to not travel and to only do so if absolutely necessary.’
Along with fire crews, volunteers from the service spent the night trying to help those stranded in their vehicles reach shelter in schools, scout huts, churches and leisure centres.
Around 100 traders and tourists visiting Hawkshead Christmas Fayre were trapped by the speed of the snow fall yesterday morning and were forced to bed down in the local scout hut overnight.
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, told the BBC: ‘We were stationary so I just put my car in a lay by and got my ski touring kit out the boot and started skiing down the road.
‘It was quite funny skiing down the main street in Bowness.
‘At the bottom of the hill a load of people were clapping. It was good fun.’
Lincolnshire Police said snow had affected driving conditions, particularly in the east of the county.
The force said in a message posted on X today: ‘We’re advising people to avoid driving on our roads due to heavy snow overnight across the county.
‘Some roads are unpassable in Lincoln and heading to the east coast. If you have to drive, take time, leave plenty of space from the car in front, and go carefully.’
The Met Office had issued an amber warning for snow in Cumbria throughout Saturday, saying 10-15cm of snow is possible in some areas before showers begin to ease overnight.
The weather service added there was a ‘good chance that some rural communities could become cut off’ and power cuts were likely, with the potential for other services, such as mobile phone coverage, to be affected.
National Highways national network manager Dale Hipkiss advised people to be as prepared as possible when on the roads in the wake of multiple vehicles becoming stranded in Cumbria.
He said: ‘Keeping a kit of essential items like a torch and warm clothes, in your vehicle, can be vital in case you and your passengers become stranded.
‘Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice, please take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow extra time when travelling.
Keeping a kit of essential items like a torch and warm clothes, in your vehicle, can be vital.’
9 hours from Grasmere to Kendal – is that a record? ?
We’re really lucky our children were able to walk from Ambleside to Windermere in the dark and snow… ?Really hoping the hundreds of people who were still stranded in cars this evening are ok. #Cumbria pic.twitter.com/qnZqyDSkAv[3][4]
— Hannah (@hanrisesmith) December 3, 2023[5] 
Snow blanketed the town on Ambleside in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria last night
One motorist was caught up in the Arctic weather as he tried to get to Ings near Windermere last night
A person walks through snow above the Hole of Horcum at the North York Moors National Park, as scattered weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across the UK
Sheep stand in a snow covered field in the Kent Downs on Saturday
A gritter lorry treats roads in Dalgety Bay on Saturday as snow and ice affect many parts of Scotland
A person walks through snow above the Hole of Horcum at the North York Moors National Park, as scattered weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across the UK
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice today in eastern Scotland from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday.
The weather service said wintry showers, with snow on hills, falling onto frozen surfaces may lead to some disruption to transport and infrastructure.
A yellow weather warning for ice has also been issued in the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the north of England, and much of north and central Wales from 5pm on Sunday to 12pm on Monday.
Ambleside resident Harrison Ward said the snow was the heaviest he had seen during eight years of living in the Cumbrian town, adding that lots of people had abandoned their vehicles on Saturday as they ‘tried to find refuge’.
Mr Ward, who works as an outdoor cook, told the PA news agency: ‘It really feels like you’re walking through the Alps or some ski resort at the moment.’
He added: ‘Once a few cars have stopped or crashed or been abandoned, then it all comes to a halt.
‘So we’ve seen complete gridlock through the town with lots of wheel spinning going on – there’s a real smell of burnt clutches in the air.
‘Some vehicles moved about 100 metres in an hour’s time.’
One driver said they were stuck between Ambleside and Windermere for more than five hours on Saturday.
The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, told the PA news agency: ‘We’ve had no communication from any of the authorities and we’ve not seen a single gritter trying to free anyone.
‘My wife and four-year-old had to walk two miles – there were cars driving on the wrong side of the road that caused more jams.’
The Met Office said Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland regions of Scotland were likely to see the lowest temperatures on Saturday night, with minus 12C possible in some valleys in these regions.
It said that while not everywhere will see accumulating snow, some places are likely to see 1-3cm, with 5-10cm possible over some hills and mountains in Wales, the Peak District and South Pennines.
The forecaster said there will probably be icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, resulting in ‘some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces’.
It warned that some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus and train.
Snow covers a car in the Kent Downs on Saturday as temperatures plummet to -10c in some isolated places
Snow covers roads on Saturday in the Kent Downs
Sheep stand in a snow covered fieldin the Knet Downs on Saturday
Snow covers vines at a vineyard in the Kent Downs on Saturday
A goat in the snow in the North York Moors National Park, as scattered weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across the UK
In Wales, the A470 was closed between Llechwedd, Blaenau Ffestiniog, towards the Crimea Pass due to the weather conditions on Saturday afternoon as North Wales Police told drivers to avoid the area.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning of ice from midnight until 8am on Sunday for London, the East of England, the West Midlands and parts of South Wales.
Football fans were left disappointed as the freezing conditions meant the FA Cup second round clash between Crewe and Bristol Rovers was postponed.
This was because a pitch inspection found it was unsafe to play due to a ‘prolonged spell of sub-zero conditions’.
Crewe’s match with Bristol Rovers in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday was also been called off and rearranged for December 12, with the playing surface deemed unsafe.
A number of Scottish Professional Football League matches were likewise postponed ahead of the weekend, with Dundee United’s trip to face Morton at Cappielow called off, and the game between Ayr and Arbroath at Somerset Park.
Glasgow Airport temporarily suspended all flights on Saturday morning, with the transport hub posting on X, formerly Twitter, at 7.24am that it was doing so because of ‘heavier than forecast snow’.
At 10.20am, the airport posted: ‘Our runway is now fully operational again and we are working with our airline partners and their handlers to resume flight schedules.’
Flights were also cancelled and delayed at London Stansted Airport because of cold weather conditions on Saturday evening.
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have issued amber cold health alerts in five regions – the East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber – until December 5, meaning ‘cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time’.
References
- ^ Dan Woodland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ #Cumbria (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/qnZqyDSkAv (t.co)
- ^ December 3, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ Wales (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office (www.dailymail.co.uk)