Cornwall Issued New Warnings Following Snowfall Disruption

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice in Cornwall, following a day marked by considerable snowfall and subsequent disruption. Additionally, the agency cautioned that Storm Bert is anticipated to bring substantial rain and powerful winds to areas of both Devon and Cornwall over the upcoming weekend. This yellow warning for ice affects portions of Devon and Cornwall and remains active until 10:00 GMT on Friday. A separate alert for wind and rain has also been issued for Saturday and Sunday. Cormac, the road maintenance company for Cornwall Council, indicated that road surface temperatures were projected to drop below -0.4C during the night. Gritters are scheduled to treat “all precautionary routes” until 03:00 on Friday. Devon and Cornwall Police advised motorists to be vigilant for abandoned vehicles and to undertake journeys only if “absolutely necessary.” Ch Insp Dean Drury stated, “Some vehicles on minor untreated roads are still in situ.” He further noted that officers and various agencies had “worked tirelessly” to ensure roads remained accessible. Drivers should anticipate icy patches as temperatures decrease, he added. His advice was, “If you don’t need to drive, don’t.” The snowfall led to disruptions for schools, businesses, and roads starting early in the morning. Cornwall Council confirmed that 67 schools had either fully or partially closed due to the weather conditions. Concurrently, officers reported responding to numerous collisions on the region’s roadways, including the A30 which was blocked for several hours. One motorist, who was stranded in her vehicle for approximately seven hours, recounted that officers assisted in excavating cars from the snow and facilitated gritters’ ability to navigate around traffic. Lucie Liddell, who found herself stranded near Bodmin on the A30, stated: “It took us until 12:00 GMT to get home and I got there at 05:15, it was a long day.” She added, “When we left the A30 we had to drive very slowly.” Liddell also observed, “There were still lorries blocked the entire way down the A30 that couldn’t leave.” David Braine, a senior broadcast meteorologist for BBC South West, commented that the snowfall proved to be heavier and more extensive than initially predicted. He further noted, “The Met Office has extended the area covered by the snow warning and increased the forecast amount to 10-15cm.”