Reports on the big chill from around the country
NORTH
FRESH SNOWFALLS brought renewed chaos across the North, with airport and road closures, the cancellation of hospital services and more school closures.
A weather front that crossed Ulster from Co Donegal yesterday brought an additional 10cm of snow on top of last week’s falls, which have remained due to persistent low temperatures.
The five-hour snowfall closed Belfast International Airport as, well as the closure of the runway at City of Derry airport. George Best City Airport remained open but flight schedules were disrupted.
The road network was also badly affected and public transport providers were forced to withdraw a range of services. Translink said it had to withdraw a number of bus routes, while train services were also halted.
All local bus services in Coleraine, Derry, Armagh, Crumlin, Antrim town and Magherafelt have been suspended until further notice, while bus services between the major towns are also being affected.
The worst-affected areas were again along the north coast in counties Derry and Antrim, with the Mournes area of south Down also suffering from renewed heavy snowfall. Snow returned to the greater Belfast area and both the North’s main motorways were restricted to single-lane traffic for a time.
Roads south between Derry city and Strabane, Co Tyrone, were particularly badly affected, with some closures and severe restrictions. Some roads were closed around the Limavady and Coleraine areas by deep snow and to allow gritters to get to work.
Dungiven and Maghera, both in Co Derry, were badly affected.
In Belfast, snow caused severe traffic restrictions on both the M1 and M2 extending as far west as Craigavon in Co Armagh. Some roads in Armagh city were declared impassable.
DAN KEENAN
NORTHWEST
As councils battled to grit against black ice, fresh snow yesterday made their workload more treacherous. Some councils are also now warning that they are beginning to run low on both salt and grit. Six gritters have come off the road in Co Donegal in recent days. There was serious structural damage to Doherty’s pub in the town centre in Ardara when it was hit by a gritter on Sunday.
There were also treacherous conditions in Sligo, where more than 40 schools kept their doors locked.
STEPHEN MAGUIRE
NORTHEAST
A number of schools reopened in the northeast yesterday. Many people walked to their local school because of impacted snow on minor roads that have not been gritted.The Army continued to help clear footpaths in Drogheda and Dundalk, as well as in Duleek and Ashbourne.
Meath County Council again warned of black ice and said it was dealing with “compacted ridges on the N2 where extreme care is required”.
ELAINE KEOGH
MIDLANDS
Drivers in the midlands were being urged to exercise extreme caution and only travel if absolutely necessary yesterday.
Patches of black ice and fog created hazardous conditions on many roads throughout the midlands. Showers of sleet in Offaly and Westmeath yesterday evening were expected to turn into snow overnight.
The Defence Forces are continuing to assist with the transportation of medical staff and the delivery of meals on wheels in the midlands.
Comdt Kevin McDonald said 500 troops from the Western Brigade had covered approximately 4,000 miles and answered 120 requests for assistance since last Wednesday.
EOGHAN MacCONNELL
SOUTHEAST
Temperatures plunged to as low as minus 9 degrees in the Clonmel area yesterday morning, and the local council sent water tankers to residential areas facing water shortages.
Freezing fog made for bad visibility on roads throughout the southeast, with the sun struggling to burn off the fog in most areas during the day. This, allied to black ice on the roads, made for dangerous driving conditions.
CONOR KANE
SOUTH
Ground temperatures in Cork dropped as low as minus 9 degrees at Moorepark near Fermoy, with air temperatures in both the city and county dropping as low as minus 6 overnight.
Icy conditions on the main N8 Cork-Dublin road led to a collision near the exit to Mitchelstown yesterday morning.
The main Cork-Waterford road was also icy in stretches, with one motorist reporting it took her 2½ hours to travel from Youghal to Cork city yesterday morning, a journey which usually takes 40-45 minutes.
BARRY ROCHE