Motorists stranded as heavy snow falls in North Yorkshire as police warn 'don't travel'
Drivers were left stranded in temperatures as low as -2C in the North York Moors
Drivers have been forced to abandon their vehicles and entire villages have been left isolated after heavy snow and freezing temperatures sweep across North Yorkshire.
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Families have been left without power this evening, with major routes across the region becoming impassable as conditions deteriorated.
Footage shared from the North York Moors showed motorists battling through blizzard-like weather as night fell, while cars ended up in ditches as the snowfall intensified.
Traffic on rural routes caused long queues, leaving motorists stranded in temperatures as low as -2C.
Two cars and two lorries became stuck on the A171 Birk Brow near Whitby, trapping “hundreds” of drivers.
North Yorkshire Police also confirmed the A169 between Whitby and Pickering had been shut due to “heavy snow conditions”.
The Met Office had issued an alert earlier in the day, with chief forecaster Neil Armstrong warning of a plunge of “cold Arctic air” moving across the UK.He said: “Cold Arctic air from the north is firmly in charge of the UK’s weather… bringing the first notable cold snap of this autumn and giving an early taste of winter weather.
"As a result, winter hazards are likely through the next few days, with snow and ice a particular hazard.”
He added that wintry showers would hit parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, south-west England, north-east England and northern Scotland, with “accumulations of 2-5cm” and up to “15-25cm over the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds.”
Further disruption has hit drivers elsewhere.
The A12 in Essex has been shut in both directions between junctions 11 and 15 due to a police incident, with Essex Police confirming the road will remain closed for the rest of the evening.
Congestion has stretched four miles back to the M25, with delays of up to an hour.
The A11 in Norfolk was also closed northbound between the B1111 at Larling and the B1077 at Attleborough following a crash.
Recovery teams are at the scene, and drivers are being urged to plan ahead.