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Warning to drivers as snow falls

Pa
Tuesday 27 December 2005 17:17 GMT
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A snow-covered field in Kent
A snow-covered field in Kent

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Bank Holiday motorists were urged to stay indoors today as heavy snow fell across the east of England.

Police chiefs spoke of treacherous road conditions as large parts of the country woke to an overnight snowfall.

A dusting of up to an inch fell between East Yorkshire and the South East, while in east Kent three or four inches were expected by the end of the morning.

Roads in Kent were subject to speed restrictions today with the police warning worse was still to come.

Inspector Mark Holt, of Kent Police, said: "There is an east-west split in Kent at present with large parts of the county clear but quite heavy snow in the east.

"We have a 50mph speed limit on the M20 between junction eight at Maidstone all the way down to junctions 11 and 12 at Folkestone.

"The motorway is down to one lane and traffic is moving slowly but it is very quiet at the the moment."

Mr Holt said there had been no reported weather-related crashes, adding: "The traffic is low at present but our advice to drivers is, as usual, to stay indoors unless travel is essential. We are expecting that worse is yet to come."

Snow is expected to carry on falling over the next two days, with the Midlands and the north east coasts of England and Scotland expected to be affected.

There was a light dusting of snow in East Sussex, particularly in the Hastings area, according to police. Again, there were no reported incidents overnight.

London could also be hit by the snow, but the west of the country is forecast to escape any showers, despite the freezing temperatures.

Drivers in all affected areas were warned to exercise caution in the "perilous" driving conditions, expected to last until Friday, according to the PA WeatherCentre.

Temperatures dropped to minus 2C last night but colder weather, as low as minus 5C (23F) in England and minus 8C (17.6F)in Scotland, is expected.

The Highways Agency advised drivers to check the weather forecast and road conditions before setting out and, if necessary, to delay their journeys until the weather improves.

The agency also urged motorists to take care if they do drive and make sure they are equipped with warm clothes, boots, a de-icer, a spade and a scraper, as well as food and drink.

"There is certainly enough snow to cause disruption, especially on the roads which haven't been gritted," said PA weatherman Paul Mott.

"Driving conditions will remain difficult all week. It will remain bitterly cold until Thursday or Friday with further snow showers expected. Milder weather should take over from then on."

The snow has come late for many who had hoped to see a white Christmas. Bookmaker William Hill said punters betting on a white Christmas lost out as not a single flake fell in cities on which it was taking bets.

Spokesman Rupert Adams said: "The snow has come just 24 hours too late for punters, saving the industry a whopping £3 million."

Heavy snow showers are expected to cause disruption to traffic in East Anglia.

Sergeant Paul Ray, of Norfolk Police, said the county was braced for a "significant" amount of snow and warned that some areas could see around four inches in the next 24 hours.

"It is not causing too much of a problem at the moment, but as people start moving around and the snowfall gets heavier, we are likely to have more problems on the roads," he said.

"We are expecting the snow to get worse and have been warned that some areas could get around 10 centimetres (four inches)."

Sgt Ray said there were no serious problems on the county's roads at present.

"The only accidents we have had this morning have been single vehicles skidding on the ice and minor bumps," he said.

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