04 February 2009
Road users across the country are being warned to expect a further spell of severe weather in the days leading up to the weekend. The Met Office has forecast significant snowfall for some areas from Wednesday night, through Thursday and into Friday. Snow is expected to reach parts of southern England this evening (Wednesday), and will spread into the Midlands and eastern England overnight, then into northern England on Thursday morning. Some of this snow will turn to rain, particularly in the East, South East and parts of south west England, whilst turning to sleet elsewhere. The mixture of rain, sleet and snow will become lighter and more sporadic on Thursday afternoon, but will last into Friday, when the rain in the east and south may turn back to snow for a time before finally clearing on Friday night. The Highways Agency, which operates and maintains motorways and major A roads in England, is working closely with the Met Office to monitor weather conditions and our winter fleet, traffic control centres and Traffic Officers are working to maintain safe roads and reliable journeys. Director of Network Operations at the Highways Agency, Derek Turner, said: "We are monitoring the weather and will deploy our fleet of 500 winter service vehicles to treat motorways and major A roads in response to local conditions. "We have seen a large number of minor accidents in the last few days, and road users can help us by driving with care even where roads have been treated. When roads are slippery it can take up to 10 times longer to stop - so, watch your speed and leave more space from the vehicle in front. "I also strongly advise checking the latest information on weather and road conditions before starting your journey." Drivers are advised to carry warm clothing and an emergency pack, which includes food and water, boots, de-icer, a torch, a spade if snow is forecast, and to make sure they have plenty of fuel for the journey.
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