Councils top up salt stocks

11 February 2009 08:45am

Councils are preparing to replenish salt stocks used up gritting the country's roads as torrential rain and heavy snow which brought flooding and travel disruption gave way to brighter weather.

Forecasters said the worst of the wintry weather was over for now, although it would remain cold and frosty with snow predicted in some places on Thursday.

Torrential rain and heavy snow closed schools, disrupted travel and left thousands of homes in the Midlands without electricity on Tuesday.

The heavy overnight rain which combined with melting snow from last week's record downfall caused river levels to rise, with hundreds of severe flood warnings issued.

As the clean-up operation continued, councils were preparing in case of fresh snow storms with a ship from Germany containing supplies of salt due to arrive in the UK.

On Tuesday morning, the Environment Agency closed London's Thames Barrier for the day to protect the capital from a rising tide.

Some areas of the South West recorded close to their monthly average rainfall for February in just 24 hours.

Up to 3,000 homes in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire were left without electricity after a band of snow stretched from south Wales into the Midlands.

And the weather brought chaos to schools, with almost 200 closing. Travellers also found their plans in turmoil with planes and trains cancelled and roads closed across the South West.

But MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the weather would be more settled over the coming days, though snow is expected on Thursday in Scotland, Wales, Cumbria and the Pennines.

© The Press Association