Cumbria 25 March 2013: the big freeze day four
As sections of the A595 remain blocked by huge snowdrifts between Bootle and Holmrook, police are asking drivers who have
not recovered vehicles abandoned on the A595 to contact them, and not to try to collect their vehicles until it is safe to do so.
Scores of cars and vans were abandoned along stretches of the A595 in Cumbria at the weekend. Recovery teams towed them to lay-bys so they would not impede the gritters and snowploughs clearing the route.
Anyone who has to travel through areas of Cumbria which had been affected by the snow - which is the majority of the county - are urged to exercise extreme caution, as melting snow may refreeze as black ice.
As of Monday lunchtime the hamlet of Hall Waberthwaite remains largely cut off by heavy snowdrifts.
Conditions have begun to improve. About 54 properties in the Copeland district of Cumbria remained without electricity as at first thing on Monday morning, mostly in the Eskmeals, Bootle and Waberthwaite areas but an Electricity North West said at mid-morning that power to all the affected properties had now been restored.
Cumbria Police said stretches of the A595 remained closed, and asked anyone with a vehicle stuck to contact them so co-ordinated arrangements could be made to have them recovered. A spokesman added:
"Please do not attend your vehicle until you have been requested and advised by police it is safe to do so as the road is still closed, there may be a significant delay and weather conditions are still challenging."
Four schools in Cumbria are closed today:
Most of the schools which were closed last week are open today but I am aware that the following are closed:
Burlington CE primary, Kirkby-in-Furness
Captain Shaw's, Bootle
St Bega's, Holmrook
Waberthwaite primary
Cumbria Constabulary thanked a local farmer who removed trees blocking the B5289 between the Fish Hotel and the Buttermere Road, allowing it to be reopened.
The variability of the weather in Cumbria remains astonishing. In some areas, such as Whitehaven, it could be a perfect spring morning. In other areas there are still significant roads blocked by large snowdrifts.
The emergency services and highway, power and telephone engineers have been doing a superb job helping people affected by severe and extraordinary weather conditions and we all owe them a huge debt of thanks.
The BBC Travel News Cumbria page with up to date details of blocked roads at http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/cumbria.
Scores of cars and vans were abandoned along stretches of the A595 in Cumbria at the weekend. Recovery teams towed them to lay-bys so they would not impede the gritters and snowploughs clearing the route.
Anyone who has to travel through areas of Cumbria which had been affected by the snow - which is the majority of the county - are urged to exercise extreme caution, as melting snow may refreeze as black ice.
As of Monday lunchtime the hamlet of Hall Waberthwaite remains largely cut off by heavy snowdrifts.
Conditions have begun to improve. About 54 properties in the Copeland district of Cumbria remained without electricity as at first thing on Monday morning, mostly in the Eskmeals, Bootle and Waberthwaite areas but an Electricity North West said at mid-morning that power to all the affected properties had now been restored.
Cumbria Police said stretches of the A595 remained closed, and asked anyone with a vehicle stuck to contact them so co-ordinated arrangements could be made to have them recovered. A spokesman added:
"Please do not attend your vehicle until you have been requested and advised by police it is safe to do so as the road is still closed, there may be a significant delay and weather conditions are still challenging."
Four schools in Cumbria are closed today:
Most of the schools which were closed last week are open today but I am aware that the following are closed:
Burlington CE primary, Kirkby-in-Furness
Captain Shaw's, Bootle
St Bega's, Holmrook
Waberthwaite primary
Cumbria Constabulary thanked a local farmer who removed trees blocking the B5289 between the Fish Hotel and the Buttermere Road, allowing it to be reopened.
The variability of the weather in Cumbria remains astonishing. In some areas, such as Whitehaven, it could be a perfect spring morning. In other areas there are still significant roads blocked by large snowdrifts.
The emergency services and highway, power and telephone engineers have been doing a superb job helping people affected by severe and extraordinary weather conditions and we all owe them a huge debt of thanks.
The BBC Travel News Cumbria page with up to date details of blocked roads at http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/cumbria.
Comments
Mind you I am not "The Guardian" (This one was pointed out at work, I burst out in laughter, its brilliant)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/mar/22/weather-worse-coalition-government?CMP=twt_gu