Britain sees coldest January in 10 years

LONDON: Last month was the coldest January across the UK in 10 years, with more wintry weather expected to cause disruption this week.

There was heavy snowfall in parts of northern England overnight, causing the closure of a major road near Rochdale, Lancashire, when vehicles became stuck and a lorry jack-knifed.

Rural communities have been warned they are at risk of becoming cut off, while widespread travel disruption is likely. The Met Office said January had an average temperature of 2.2C, making it the coldest across the UK since 2010 when the average UK January temperature was 0.9C.

It has also been the coldest calendar month since March 2013 which also recorded an average temperature of 2.2C. The coldest January on record was 1963 with a mean temperature of minus 1.9C. There is a mix of temperatures expected across the UK on Tuesday, with around 6C expected in Manchester, around 5C in Belfast, around 3C in Edinburgh and Newcastle, and as high as 13C expected in London and 12C in Cardiff.

But an amber weather warning for snow is in force across much of South Yorkshire, and parts of Derbyshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester which will last until 1pm on Wednesday.

Between 3cm and 8cm of snow is likely across the area, with 10cm to 15cm possible in areas above 200 metres. Overnight, vehicles became stuck on the eastbound M62 near Rochdale, between junction 21 for Milnrow and junction 22 for Denshaw, leading to a temporary closure of the carriageway, and a lorry jack-knifed on the same motorway westbound between junction 23 and junction 22 in the early hours.

Forecasters said motorists who brave the roads are at risk of becoming stranded, while rail and air cancellations are likely. Power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage are also expected, while rural communities face being cut off completely.

Train operator Northern is asking people not to travel on the Calder Valley route until further notice. Several trees have fallen onto the line between Halifax and Rochdale, meaning trains cannot operate and treacherous road conditions are making it difficult to run replacement bus services.

Adverse weather has also affected other parts of the Northern network, with disruption affecting services in Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Over the next seven days, much of Scotland is also bracing for icy and snowy conditions. .