'Play it safe' alert as more snow is forecast

NOTTS was recovering today from heavy snowfall – but people are being warned to take care as more outbreaks are forecast.

Clear skies were expected today in Nottingham, according to the Met Office, but drivers have been urged to be careful on icy roads across the county.

Slush from yesterday's snowfall turned to ice overnight , especially on minor roads not treated by gritters.

And more snow is expected in Notts on Wednesday, with outbreaks until Friday, say forecasters.

There were some delays at East Midlands Airport yesterday, but it was business as usual earlier today. There were no flight delays overnight.

On the roads, no major accidents were reported overnight, and emergency services said it had been a quiet evening as people avoided unnecessary journeys.

The emergency department at the Queen's Medical Centre reported no significant rise in the number of patients, though doctors said they had seen more injuries from slips and trips since the snow started.

Meanwhile, East Midlands Ambulance Service was under extra pressure. It urged the public to take extra care after a "significant rise" in the number of 999 calls made yesterday.

"We've responded to more road traffic collisions than normal but the majority of extra calls have been to people who've slipped on the ice or snow," said an EMAS spokesperson.

Between 6am and noon yesterday they received around 75 calls, a 25 per cent increase.

People are also reminded to only call 999 in emergencies to avoid extra strain being placed on services.

Gritters were out in force overnight but there were still some travel problems.

Last night buses in Mapperley and Carlton were diverted because of the wintry weather because buses were having problems getting up hills.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said all trains in and out of Nottingham were running despite the weather yesterday and are expected to be unaffected today.

No roadworks took place across the East Midlands last night due to low temperatures.

The Met Office said the last time the region saw this much snow was in 1991.

Matthew Pates, emergency planning manager for the Highways Agency in the East Midlands, said they were working hard to avoid any major roads in Notts being closed.

He said: "Our spreaders have been out across Notts a couple of times today.

"We have more vehicles on standby, such as snow blowers and ploughs, but we are confident we can keep the roads open."

Mr Pates said drivers should be careful when driving on the county's roads over the next few days.

He said: "First and foremost people should keep an eye on the weather.

"Check traffic conditions and find out if there are any problems.

"Plan your journey and travel prepared with a car in good condition."

Waste collections in Gedling borough were disrupted yesterday though people are asked to still leave their bins out and workers will try to collect them.

Elsewhere in the country, snow was falling on more parts of the UK today as winter storms moved north to leave a whitewashed south in their wake.

Forecasters are expecting areas of Scotland, Wales and northern England to suffer the worst of today's wintry weather, causing hazardous conditions for many more people.

Higher parts of the Pennines and Jedburgh in the Borders have already seen extensive falls overnight.

Areas hit by yesterday's deluge – the UK's heaviest for 18 years – are likely to remain dangerous after the widespread snow turned to ice as temperatures plunged overnight.

The Met Office has issued an extreme weather warning to motorists across the UK to beware of icy roads and drifting or heavy snow.