By Tony O’Riley-
Residents of the UK must be careful not to slip in the slippery snow, as sub zero temperatures hit many parts of the UK, with parts of Scotland dropping to -16.7C.
With travel warnings from the Met office made as a result of snow and ice, there is a separate caution for individuals to be careful not to slip and injure themselves in the snow, which has hit the UK as the temperature plummeted to its lowest in a decade.
Although not many people hear news about serious injuries arising from simple slips on icy ground, several people injure themselves from slipping on the snow. Some people manage a lucky escape as they slip on icy snow, without quite falling and hurting themselves. Not everyone who slips is that fortunate.
One of the reasons people slip around their work place is due to insufficient lighting around the workplace for employers and employees to see and avoid hazards that might be on the ground.
Many slip accidents happen at building entrances as people entering the building walk in rainwater. In some cases, victims of falls due to slipping on ice can claim compensation, especially if the slip occurs in a shopping centre, car park, or any area where somebody is responsible for managing the snow or ice within its vicinity.
Weather Warnings
A number of National Severe Weather Warnings for snow are in force, with further warnings likely to be issued through the week.
Chief Meteorologist Steve Ramsdale on Monday warned: “With cold air across all of the UK any precipitation will fall as snow. Snow showers will continue to feed into eastern parts through the week.
Many places will see further snow accumulations with a few centimetres likely quite widely. Some areas will see larger accumulations with 20 cm or more possible for some. Convergence lines, where showers organise into bands, becoming heavy and persistent, are likely to drive these larger accumulations and further warnings are likely to be issued as the locations affected become clearer.
“Overnight temperatures will be notably low through the week, especially in areas with lying snow. We can expect to see -10°C as far south as East Anglia later in the week. Daytime temperatures will also be cold, only reaching 1 or 2 degrees Celsius for many early in the week. With strong winds as well the wind chill will make it feel much colder.”
A temperature of -16.7C was recorded in Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on Tuesday morning – the lowest reading in the UK since December 2010.
Several parts of the UK have been ravaged with snow, with more snow expected with yellow warnings in place for parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Heavy snow on Monday has left 29cm (11in) of snow on the ground in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, and up to 26cm (10in) in parts of the east of England.
More heavy snow is expected in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, Stirling and surrounding areas of Scotland, where an amber weather warning for snow is in place until 21:00 GMT on Tuesday. Up to 20cm (8in) more snow could fall on higher ground in these areas.
Several road accidents have been recorded in Scotland, as well as “significant disruption” to rail routes, including from Edinburgh to Glasgow