Cold snap warning as region shivers

Mar 19 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

MORE wintry weather is expected in the North West today as a nationwide cold snap continues.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings in the region, and forecasters are expecting up to three days of snow showers and strong winds, as freezing weather coming in from the Arctic replaced the unseasonably warm weather from the West over the weekend.

Merseyside Police and Liverpool Coastguard both reported no incidents in the stormy weather.

A spokesperson for the Coastguard said: “It is rough out there, with high winds, squally showers and a bit of sleet, snow and hail, but it doesn’t seem to be sticking and it seems to be keeping people indoors.”

Yesterday evening, Liverpool John Lennon Airport received several diverted flights which were unable to land at Manchester because of the severe weather conditions.

Spokesman Robin Tudor said: “We have had a little extra traffic because the weather can be sufficiently different between the two cities. We had seven flights diverted in over an hour and a half, but only one flight was letting off passengers.

“The others sat on the ground until they could go on to Manchester.

“We have had flurries of snow and hail, but nothing to stop flights coming in, and we are more than happy to help out and accommodate Manchester if they are having difficulties.”

Yesterday saw the UK’s average temperature fall from a high of 16C (61F) to just 8C (46F).