A Weather Event & its impact on people & the environment

Heavy snow in England and Wales  - February 2009

What caused it?

The Met Office issued a number of severe weather warnings for heavy snow in much of southern and central England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on February 5^th 2009. Some five inches of snow (12.7cm) were reported in parts of the West Country.

Cold air coming south from the arctic meeting moist air from a low pressure weather system (depression) being blown off the Atlantic Ocean, combined to create heavy snowfall.

Watch the video clip to find out why it happened: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7870847.stm

Impact on people and the environment

The M4, particularly around Bristol and Swindon, the M5 and the M1 in the south Midlands were badly affected.

300 Welsh schools were closed, along with many in Wiltshire including Abbeyfield, Sheldon, Hardenhuish along with schools in Trowbridge, Westbury and Swindon. Bristol public transport was also hit. 900 schools were closed in England on Tuesday.

There were several severe weather warnings in place and councils were running low on gritting salt.

Businesses lost an estimated £3.5 billion as workers were unable to get to work. Those businesses that did open, closed early to allow their workers to get home before the roads iced

The closure of tube lines in London cost the economy an estimated £48 million.

The AA attended 15,000 breakdowns in one day.

Police were called to assist the drivers and passengers of 14 vehicles stuck on an icy hill at Lyme Regis during the evening rush-hour.

A teenage girl died after suffering serious head injuries when a makeshift sledge crashed in South Yorkshire.

There were at least 10 cancellations on the National Express East Coast line and more on Virgin Trains between London Euston and Birmingham. Trains were not running on the Severn Beach line near Bristol and First, Wessex and South Gloucestershire bus services were also  suspended around the city

Arriva bus services were suspended in Bristol, Bath, Aylesbury, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes and Luton

The runways at Birmingham, Luton, East Midlands and Cardiff Wales airports were closed. Flights were cancelled at Belfast City Airport, with planes diverted to Belfast International Airport,