Yellow warning of ice issued for North West

A yellow 'Be aware' ice warning has been issued for the North West of England.
A yellow 'be aware' warning has been issued for iceA yellow 'be aware' warning has been issued for ice
A yellow 'be aware' warning has been issued for ice

The warning was issued on 13 January and applies to the region from 4pm, 13 January until 12pm on 14 January.

A statement on the Met Office website says:"Ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces especially where showers of sleet, snow and hail occur. 1 to 2cm [of snow] is locally possible. This may lead to the risk of disruption with difficult driving conditions and expect longer journey times.

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"A cold north to northwesterly airstream will maintain the risk of wintry showers through Friday night and Saturday morning. However, amounts of snow are likely to be very variable with some places remaining dry altogether."

The warning comes as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) warns motorists to be prepared for driving in snow and icy conditions.

Ashley Bateman, DVSA’s Assistant Chief Driving Examiner, said: “DVSA’s priorities are to help you through a lifetime of safe driving and to help you keep your vehicle safe to drive.

“Road conditions can suddenly change during the winter, so being well prepared is vital.

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Drivers can help to keep themselves and other road users safe by carrying out basic safety checks and following the advice in The Highway Code about driving in winter weather.”

Drivers can prepare by planning their journey, including:

- checking the weather forecast and road conditions

- considering other routes or types of transport

- allowing extra time for your journey

- ensuring that your vehicle is prepared for the journey

- carrying warm clothing, blankets, hot drinks, a torch, a shovel, and suitable footwear

Drivers should:

- keep the lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from ice and snow

- add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additive to the windscreen washer bottles

- make sure wipers and lights are in good working order

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- check that tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure

When driving, drivers should:

- avoid sudden actions as these could cause loss of control

- use dipped headlights in poor conditions

- keep well back from the road user in front - stopping distances can be 10 times greater than on dry roads

- drive at a slow speed in as high a gear as possible; accelerate and brake very gently

- drive particularly slowly on bends where loss of control is more likely - brake progressively on the straight before you reach a bend