Article

Highways Agency amber alert for road users - updated

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 04 February 2012

The Highways Agency, which manages England’s motorways and major A roads, has updated its amber alert for anyone planning to travel on its network this weekend.

Following advice from Met Office forecasters based at the Agency’s national traffic operations centre, the Agency has extended its amber alert to 9am tomorrow morning. Previously the alert was in place until 11.59pm today.

An alert means there is a high probability of severe snow affecting the network, meaning a risk of adverse driving conditions.

Snow is forecast to extend beyond midnight to 9am tomorrow and move from the west across all regions,

The Met Office has forecast warning periods for individual regions as follows:

North West – 12-9pm Saturday: Snow away from the coast turning to rain. 10cm plus of snow possible over the Pennines to east of Manchester and also on Cumbrian routes. Manchester itself probably having a briefer period with around 5cm before turning to rain.

North East – 1pm to midnight Saturday but clearing North Yorkshire northwards by 9pm. Typically 5 to10cm but northern areas seeing a little less.

West Midlands - 1-9pm Saturday 5 to 10cm.

East Midlands - 3pm Saturday to 3am Sunday - 5 to 10cm typically.

South West – 2-6pm possibly across north east Gloucestershire about 5cm.

East - 4pm Saturday to 8am Sunday 5 to 10cm.

South East - 5pm Saturday to 9am Sunday - 5 to 10cm but rain or sleet near the coast.

All areas - Beware of freezing and patchy fog after the snow tonight.

Drivers are advised to make sure they are well-prepared for any journey. There is information on the Highways Agency website at www.highways.gov.uk/winter and regular updates on Twitter by following @winterhighways

Advice to road users

• In winter, weather can change quickly. Don’t travel in severe weather unless your journey is essential. If you must travel, be prepared for bad weather.

• Before you set out, check local and national weather forecasts. Listen to travel bulletins on the radio. Take an emergency kit including warm clothes, food, water, boots, a torch and spade.

• Remember that local conditions, such as bends or overhanging trees, can mean that you may need to drive with care even after road surfaces have been treated with salt.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England’s motorways and other strategic roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. A Highways Agency severe weather alert for snow is issued separately to the Met Office weather alerts. Not all Met Office alerts will lead to a Highways Agency alert which is addressed particularly at road users.

A Highways Agency severe weather alert for snow is be raised when there is a high probability of severe snow (as defined by the Met Office) adversely affecting the Highways Agency network of motorways and other strategic roads in England. The Highways Agency, in partnership with the Met Office will strongly advise that motorists take extra care and avoid, if at all possible, specific routes and/or sections of road thought most at risk during the alert.

In this case (Saturday 4 February) the alert is for the period from 12.00 Saturday to 09.00 Sunday and affects the following regions of England: North East, North West, East, East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, and South West.

For the purpose of these warnings, The Met Office defines severe snow as: -
• The likelihood of a few centimetres of snow or slush on carriageways, even if temporary and allowing for suitable precautionary action, such as salt treatment of the road network, has been taken
• The amount of snow/slush is sufficient to cause reduced speed, incidents and congestion (resulting in the Agency setting suitable warning signs where available)
• Visibility also very poor

3. Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and other strategic roads is available:

- From the web at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
- By phone from the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000 at any time. (Calls to 0300 numbers will cost no more than 5p per minute from a standard BT residential landline. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary, but will be no more than a standard geographic call and will be included in all inclusive minutes and discount schemes). Make sure it’s safe and legal before you call. Before using any mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency.
- On an iPhone app which will automatically select the region you are in. Free to download from the iTunes store or search for Highways Agency on your device.
- From Twitter – there are eight feeds with live traffic information provided by region. For the full index visit www.highways.gov.uk/twitter.

4. Receive our national and regional press releases by RSS and get the latest headlines straight to your desktop the moment we publish them to our website. Choose to receive a national press feed or one of our regionalised feeds - go to www.highways.gov.uk/rssnews for more information.

Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency National Press Office (24hrs) on 0207 081 7443.

Contacts:

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the issuing dept
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk