Motorists stranded amid the blizzard

Feb 2 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

Flights cancelled and schools close early

THE weather caused chaos for motorists across the North-East yesterday.

Snow up to 10cm deep made even the shortest journey difficult, as drivers struggled to keep their cars on the road.

Much of rural Northumberland became impassable by road, and conditions in towns such as Prudhoe, Alnwick and Haltwhistle saw drivers struggling to reach their destinations.

On Thursday evening a bus driver had a lucky escape after a van was blown by a gust of wind into the path of his 48-seater vehicle.

The wind sent the Mercedes Sprinter van careering into the bus, at Rosborough Farm, in Chathill, Northumberland, but there were no passengers on board and the driver sustained only minor injuries.

Newcastle International Airport was also affected by the wind as internal flights to London were cancelled. On Thursday evening winds reached 75mph and the 9.20pm scheduled trip from Heathrow to Newcastle was grounded, with the 6.20am flight yesterday morning also cancelled.

Thousands of pupils enjoyed an early start to the weekend as dozens of schools closed early because of the weather.

In total more than 30 schools in Northumberland were either shut all day or sent pupils home early, with at least five more shut in County Durham.

A Northumberland County Council spokesman said: “We received a severe weather warning from the Met Office on Friday morning for heavy snow to come right across the county.

“The specialist open road forecast predicted that road conditions would become difficult in all areas by mid afternoon. Reacting to this, the priority was to ensure the safety of pupils who use school transport and get them home before conditions became difficult.”

Landfill sites across County Durham were closed as gales caused chaos in waste disposal centres. Waste transfer stations and even household waste recycling centres throughout the county were forced to close because of the battering winds.

And it means that many household bins might not be emptied as normal today. Coun Alan Cox, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for waste management, said: “At the moment, nearly every landfill site in the North-East is closed because you can’t put waste in when there are 80mph winds blowing.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pensioners left in the cold by increase

PENSIONERS in the region last night hit out after Scottish Power became the latest energy supplier to hike up prices.

More than five million people will be hit by the 14% rise in electricity prices and the 15% rise in gas prices, announced by the firm yesterday as the bitterly cold snap hit the North.

And campaigners said low-income families and the elderly will be the ones left out in the cold.

John Berry, secretary of the North-East Pensioners’ Association, said: “To put things simply, this is disgusting.

“We are fed up to the back teeth of having these price increases forced upon us.

“We do not get any extra money to pay for these things, so how do they expect us to do so.”

The move follows double-digit price hikes last month by rivals British Gas, Npower and EDF.

Mr Berry, 73, from South Shields, says that the increase in price is forcing older people to brave the cold.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gloomy weekend ahead expected

A WEEKEND of showers and icy roads will follow yesterday’s snow, forecasters have said.

The temperatures will dip today, before rain hits the region tomorrow. Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers predicted a gloomy weekend.

She said: “On Saturday it will be very icy and frosty and temperatures will drop to -3 to -5 degrees. There’s a possibility of more snow and showers, but it will become very windy and cloudy. Temperatures will rise again on Sunday, but we are likely to have rain all through the day.”

The Met Office also issued severe weather warnings for the whole of the UK as the North-East braces itself for intense ice.

The Highways Agency has also reiterated warnings to motorists over the weekend.

A spokesman said: “Drivers are advised to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel throughout Saturday as snow and freezing temperatures are forecast for many parts of the country.”