Motorists warned of icy conditions

22 February 2010

Motorists have been asked to be careful on icy roads after melting snow re-froze overnight and could pose dangerous driving conditions.

Forecasters believe this winter could be the coldest Britain has faced since the late 1970s, with plunging temperatures and persistent heavy snowfall.

Following heavy precipitation at the weekend, the country experienced travel chaos, with Wales and England's central belt braving the worst of the icy conditions.

Manchester Airport was temporarily closed for snow clearance, and the Highways Agency added that the A616 linking Sheffield and Manchester was also shut due to heavy snow.

Rob Hutchinson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the Press Association's weather division, said: "This winter is shaping up to be the coldest for 30 years.

"There is a 95% chance that the period will have been the coldest since the winter of 1978/79".

Confirmation on whether the season was the coldest for three decades will come only at the end of February.

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