Power Cuts And Drivers Stranded In Blizzards

Hundreds of people have been rescued from their cars and tens of thousands of homes are without power after blizzards blanketed parts of northern Britain.

Snow storms and strong winds have hit many parts of Scotland, with more snow, gale force winds and torrential rain wreaking havoc across Northern Ireland.

In Glenshane Pass, County Londonderry, around 300 people had to be rescued from their vehicles which became stranded in snow, including a bus carrying 20 schoolchildren, police said. Officers, mountain rescue and the coastguard worked to lead them to safety at a nearby leisure centre - which was then hit by a power cut.

About 48,000 homes in the province were without electricity after high winds brought down power lines and poles. The power cuts hit an area stretching from Enniskillen in the south to Coleraine in the north.

There were also weather-related power cuts for up to 20,000 households across Scotland, with Ayrshire among the areas worst affected.In the Borders, the East Coast Mainline was closed by landslides at Dunbar and Berwick, hitting all services north to Edinburgh.

The Met Office has issued extreme weather warnings for all of Scotland and Northern Ireland, forecasting more severe blizzards and severe drifting snow up to 50cm (20in) deep in parts. There could also be snow flurries across high areas of England and Wales, experts have said. Despite it officially being British Summer Time, the weather does not want to play ball.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "It was just starting to feel more spring-like, and then hey presto, our weather has plummeted into winter. "The weather conditions will be atrocious in places with around 15cm, six inches, of snow possible at low levels, and a staggering 40cm, nearly a foot and a half, over high ground. " Some routes are likely to become impassable, and interruptions to power supplies are also possible.

 Snow is not unusual in April, in fact, in some parts of the country a white Easter is more common than a white Christmas."

Isobel Lang's blog White Out ^

Speaking about the rescued motorists in County Londonderry, Chief Inspector Stephen Cargin from the Police Service of Northern Ireland told Sky News: "The road conditions were becoming so bad that there was about 10 inches of snow.

"About 120 vehicles were traped on a 15-mile stretch of the Glenshane Pass. We had to commence an emergency operation involving ourselves, the coastguard and mountain rescue.

"We've rescued about 300 people from their vehicles. Everybody has been rescued safely with no casualties. About nine people refused to leave their vehicles and were staying there."

The worst of the snow is expected to die out by tomorrow, but it will remain unsettled in most parts for several days.

Northern Ireland Electricity said there was damage to its power network in Omagh, Enniskillen, Dungannon, Londonderry, Coleraine and Ballymena.

In Scotland, snow ploughs and gritters were called out in many parts of the country as several inches of snow paralysed roads.

 

 Source - Sky News

Posted Date: 31st Mar 2010