Severe weather warning as Northern Ireland hit by snow chaos

The view over a wintry Belfast from the Castlereagh Hills. Dec 5 2011

Temperatures will range between 3C and 7C today, but could fall as low as minus 2C in some places overnight.

Tomorrow will see a cold and frosty start with scattered showers during the day, with rain spreading from the south-west to Northern Ireland.

Wednesday will be blustery with sunny spells and showers, with frost expected in many areas overnight.

Showers will return on Thursday, falling as sleet or snow, particularly over higher ground in Northern Ireland.

Between 5 and 6cms of snow fell in some places overnight, with freezing temperatures leading to dangerous driving conditions for the morning rush hour.

Higher ground, including the Sperrins and the north-west, was the worst affected.

More than 300 staff from the Roads Service were on duty overnight, manning 120 gritters in an effort to keep traffic moving.

Dennis Wilson from Roads Service warned wintry conditions could cause travel disruption in places.

“Temperatures are very low and given the bands of sleet and snow overnight, icy conditions can be expected on all untreated routes,” he said this morning.

Police warned motorists to avoid the Craigantlet hills area outside Belfast, where icy roads had led to treacherous driving conditions.

The Church, Holywood and Ballyregan roads were particularly badly affected.

Mr Wilson said fresh sleet showers were adding to the |problems. “Some of our gritters have been out since 5pm yesterday evening treating the roads, but then you get a shower of sleet, which could mean the salt gets washed off, and we have to go out and re-treat again,” he added.

“It was a late night and an early start today, and it’s likely to |continue.” John Wylie from the Met Office said the conditions, although disruptive, were common for this time of the year.

“Most of the sleet and snow has been across the north and west, but there have been some light falls in most places,” he said.

“A few centimetres fell on low ground, maybe 5 or 6cm on the higher ground.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/severe-weather-warning-as-northern-ireland-hit-by-snow-chaos-16086664.html#ixzz1fi4MkSdu