West Midlands weather: Warning for drivers amid light snow and freezing temperatures
The West Midlands woke to freezing temperatures and a light dusting of snow today but has so far avoided the worst of the 'Beast from the East'.
So far little snow has stuck in the West Midlands but icy conditions made for dangerous driving conditions and crashes caused disruption on the M6 and on a main Black Country road.
The M6 was blocked southbound at Junction 7 near Great Barr for more than two hours due to what Highways England described as a 'serious collision with multiple vehicles involved'.
That accident followed a three-car crash near Walsall, also on the southbound carriageway, which blocked one lane at around 9an,
Meanwhile Dudley Road East was shut and buses were diverted while emergency services dealt with a smash near The George pub in Oldbury from around 7.30am.
Firefighters posted these photos from the scene in Oldbury:
Severe weather warnings are in place for the Black Country and Staffordshire until Saturday and council gritting teams were in action overnight as the weather front swept in from Russia.
Light snow showers and light winds were expected throughout the morning, with the temperature reaching 1C or 2C around lunchtime before dipping again.
The Met office said: "Snow showers or longer periods of snow are expected on Tuesday, accompanied by very low temperatures.
"The heaviest, most persistent snow looks likely to cross the area during the morning.
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"There is the potential for travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.
"Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected.
Meanwhile heavy snow elsewhere in the country has caused major disruption, with police forces reporting treacherous driving conditions and blocked routes.
Highways England said the M20 in Kent had become blocked by a “number” of stranded lorries overnight, while the A249 was shut due to a crash. Areas around Harrogate and Craven were also particularly treacherous, according to North Yorkshire Police.
The Met Office said several centimetres of snow had fallen in some parts over the night – with 1cm in Kent by 5am, and between 3cm and 4cm in Newcastle and Northumberland.
Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cancelled dozens of trains, including several to London St Pancras, London Victoria and Cannon Street, while other companies affected include Southern, Greater Anglia and Great Northern.
British Airways has cancelled several flights from Heathrow Airport, while easyJet warned disruption to its flights was expected.
Forecasters are predicting 5cm-10cm of snow will fall for most areas of the UK, with up to 40cm possible for higher grounds in Scotland.
An amber 'be prepared' warning is in place for much of north and east England today, while a yellow 'be aware' warning covers all of the West Midlands.
The warning no longer includes the Black Country or Staffordshire on Wednesday or Thursday, but does on Friday and Saturday when the Met Office says there is a small chance that deep snow could block roads and interrupt power supplies.
