Week One

It’s 7am on a Monday morning. You are working for BBC News and have been asked to cover the bad weather.

Severe Snowfall causes Fatalities near Bangor

Two people have been killed and 21 injured in a severe collision between a lorry and a bus on the A55 near Bangor.

The incident occurred at 6.41am this morning on the Westbound Carriageway between junction 10 and 11, North Wales police have confirmed.

Traffic is at a standstill as both lanes are now closed, firefighters and air ambulance are attending the scene as passengers are being taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd, 3 in serious condition.

It has been confirmed that the bus was heading for Anfield Stadium for the Liverpool v Swansea match before the game was cancelled.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said that “although the pitch is playable, conditions around the stadium are such that the decision was taken, following police advice on safety grounds, to postpone the game”.

At 7am today, the Met Office released an amber weather warning following severe snowfall overnight in the UK and warned commuters not to travel.

The snow flurries covered most of the UK, with highs of up to 15cm in some areas, and is expected to continue well into the next week.

Passengers flying from Heathrow airport have been advised to check the Heathrow website for a revised schedule showing which flights are still operating, as snow is expected from 11am to 3pm.

Met Office spokesperson Brian Chivers expects the snow to “affect the whole of the UK, with up to 4 inches falling” over the next few days.

Daytime temperatures have plummeted up to 10 degrees lower than the average for this time of year. The Press Association’s Weather Division Meteo Group expect the temperatures to fall to -12C with temperatures no higher than 2C or 3C (approximately 37f). 

Gail Jones, President of the RAC, has warned drivers to take care on the road. The RAC has already dealt with 70% more breakdowns than usual and expect the situation to deteriorate. She has also advised travellers to pack provisions including food, warm clothes and a fully charged mobile phone, if travellers absolutely must leave the house.

This incident has caused severe tailbacks with lanes closed both ways on the A55 near Bangor. Eyewitness Amanda Sleet, 25, has reported “snow falling thick and fast” and has been stuck for an hour, unable to turn around. Officers attending the scene have set up a command centre at Bangor Retail Park, where they have collected hot drinks and are taking them to those who are stuck.

This bad weather has also taken its toll on the grit and salt provisions for the UK.

A spokeswoman for the local government agency has warned that “we have enough salt for the current cold spell, but further wintry weather in January and February will cause a problem”.

She also noted that citizens in the meantime are being urged to “do more” to ensure safety, especially as thousands of new grit bins have been placed in suburban areas.

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