Storm Bert has claimed its first victim as a man has died after his car spun off the road, as airports close and football matches are cancelled in 16-inch snowfall.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward after a 34-year-old man died in Shipley, West Yorkshire when his blue Renault Captur smashed into a wall in icy conditions as Storm Bert swept in.
The accident happened just before 1am this morning, with the unknown driver being given emergency treatment but tragically being pronounced dead at the scene but police remain at the scene today to continue investigations.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: ‘Police are appealing for witnesses after a man died in a road traffic collision in Shipley. A blue Renault Captur, which had been travelling north-east towards Saltaire, had collided with a wall.
‘The driver, a 34-year-old man from Bradford, was given emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. A road closure has remained in place while the scene is being cleared.’ Officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the vehicle being driven in the area in the time leading up to it, particularly anyone with relevant dashcam or CCTV footage, to contact them.’
Passengers are reporting being stranded for hours as airports close and travel chaos hits following blizzards bringing 16 inches of snow as a result of Storm Bert.
Rail companies are urging passengers to avoid travelling to certain areas and some warned of reduced services as weather warnings and 16 flood alerts have come into effect across the UK.
Holidaymakers have shared images showing snow-covered runways at both Newcastle and Yorkshire airport, with some even claiming there are ‘seven hours plus delays’.
A number of matches in the EFL have also been called off due to heavy snow and rain battering the pitches, including Bradford against Accrington Stanley and Fleetwood against MK Dons.
Many fans had already begun their journeys up and down the country to see their teams play today.
National Highways issued a ‘severe weather alert’ for snow affecting Yorkshire and north-east England between 5am and 3pm on Saturday.
An amber alert for heavy snow and ice is in force between 7am and 5pm on Saturday in areas across Scotland, where 10-20cm is likely on ground above 200 metres and potentially as much as 20-40cm (16 inches) on hills above 400 metres.
The weather warning covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and some of the Highlands, Argyll and Bute, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.
Holidaymakers at Newcastle and Yorkshire airport have reported seven hour plus delays due to heavy snow
People are seen sledging at Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North
People walking in the snow at Stirling Castle in Scotland
A man looks up at the statue of King Robert the Bruce during heavy snowfall at Bannockburn, near Stirling
National Highways issued a ‘severe weather alert’ for snow affecting Yorkshire and north-east England. Pictured: Dore train station in Sheffield covered in snow
Rail companies are urging passengers to avoid travelling to certain areas and some warned of reduced services. Pictured: a cyclist in Sheffield battles snow
Weather warnings and 16 flood alerts have come into effect across the UK
It comes after a weather map revealed where Storm Bert is set to batter the UK this weekend.
In Yorkshire, the A628 remained closed overnight in both directions between the A616 Hollingworth and the A57 Flouch due to snow, National Highways announced. The A66 Trans-Pennine route was also closed between the A6 and the M6 (J40).
The M48 and Severn Bridge is also closed in both directions due to current wind speeds.
Perth and Kinross Council cancelled its annual Perth Christmas lights switch-on event over safety and travel concerns.
Ferry operator CalMac – which serves the west coast of Scotland – has cancelled several sailings on Saturday with disruption expected on many other services.
P&O Ferries also said it had cancelled the 4am sailing between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland’s south west on Saturday.
A second amber warning will be in place between 7am and midday on Saturday covering parts of Yorkshire and the north east of England.
Yellow wind, rain and snow warnings cover much of the rest of the UK on Saturday and into Sunday.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said the storm’s arrival was following a ‘relatively quiet’ night on Friday with temperatures at around minus 4C across parts of Scotland and minus 1C in eastern England.
‘We’ll see two to four hours of heavy snow across parts of northern England and Scotland during Saturday morning,’ Mr McGivern said.
A look at the chaos that is being caused on the roads on the A66 as well as thick snow in East Durham
Tree surgeons clear up a fallen tree on Wimbledon Common south-west London this morning as the Met office issue yellow weather warnings for Storm Bert
Shoppers and commuters rush for shelter as they brave strong winds and teeming rain in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside
Dog walkers brave strong winds and teeming rain in North Tyneside this morning
Yellow wind, rain and snow warnings cover much of the rest of the UK on Saturday and into Sunday
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said the storm’s arrival was following a ‘relatively quiet’ night on Friday
Heavy snow falls at the Lagangarbh Hut in Glencoe, Scotland. The Met Office said Storm Bert is expected to bring ‘heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK’
Corgarff Castle in Aberdeenshire, surrounded by snow on Friday
An abandoned car by the A635 Holmfirth Road on Saddleworth Moor in West Yorkshire on Friday
Network Rail Western tweeted this image of snow on a train in Devon on Friday, saying: ‘Heavy snow means that no trains are able to run to Barnstaple until noon, or Okehampton until 4pm’
Ryan Phillips walks Arty the Siberian Husky through the snow in the grounds of Balmoral on Friday
Rough seas near the Tynemouth Pier lighthouse on the River Tyne on Friday morning
‘This snow will accumulate thick and fast, with five to 10cm at lower levels and as much as 20 to 40cm over hills accompanied by strong winds.
‘You can expect blizzards over hills across northern England and Scotland, atrocious conditions for travelling and going over the hills and also the risk of power interruptions because of snow build up on power lines.
‘So all in all, a multiple hazard event as we go into Saturday morning.’
He said temperatures will rise quickly as the storm brings with it milder air from the Atlantic, resulting in a ‘rapid thaw’ by the afternoon.
‘The melting snow and the heavy rain could lead to localised flooding in places but the wettest spots would be Wales, in the South West, particularly over south-facing hills, that’s where we’re likely to see gales and certainly the risk of impacts from wind as well as from rain,’ the meteorologist said.
Over the weekend, Wales and the South West are at risk of seeing 75mm of rain widely, and potentially more than 100mm over the higher parts of South Wales and Dartmoor.
Strong winds are expected to strike the southern coast with gusts of more than 70mph in places.
Wind warnings cover Scotland from 5am until 7pm on Saturday.
Rain and snow warnings cover northern England from 4am to 9am and Northern Ireland from midnight on Friday until 11am on Saturday.
Rain warnings cover much of Wales from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday, and south-west England from 6am on Saturday until 11.45pm.
A wind warning also covers coastal areas of southern England from 3pm until 9pm on Saturday.
Rail companies issued announcements of service changes ahead of the weekend.
In Scotland, there will be speed restrictions on the West Highland Line, Highland Mainline, Stranraer line, Glasgow South Western Line, Far North Line, and West Coast Mainline between Carstairs and the border.
The Summerhill Force waterfall in Teesdale, County Durham, is partially frozen on Friday
A family walk through the snow on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire on Friday
Sunrise over the partially frozen River Dee near Balmoral in Aberdeenshire on Friday
A car in a ditch down a winding country lane during an icy spell in Dunsden, Oxfordshire, on Friday
ScotRail has withdrawn services from Inverness to Elgin, Aberdeen to Inverurie, and Glasgow Queen Street to Oban while trains from Glasgow Central to Carlisle will terminate at Dumfries.
South Western Rail (SWR) asked passengers to only travel west of Basingstoke if their journeys are essential.
SWR announced services between Exeter and London Waterloo will start and finish at Basingstoke, that journey times will be longer between Salisbury and Exeter and between Bournemouth and Weymouth due to speed restrictions, and services across its network will start later than usual on Sunday and Monday because of safety inspections.
TransPennine Express ‘strongly’ urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday while Avanti West Coast advised passengers not to travel north of Preston – including Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
UK airports are not anticipating disruption.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said: ‘Whilst we are not anticipating disruption at this time… we will continue to keep a close eye on the situation, as Storm Bert moves in.’
Manchester Airport said ‘we’re expecting bad weather but aren’t anticipating any disruption’ while Newcastle Airport said it will be operating as normal overnight with teams ‘fully prepared to respond should conditions deteriorate’.