Merseyside was hit by weather chaos after heavy snowfall, with forecasters warning to expect more bad weather on Monday
Fans have a snowball fight as they make their way through Stanley Park to Anfield for today’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Man United(Image: Iain Watts/Liverpool Echo)
Merseyside was covered in a blanket of snow this morning as the region woke up to a wintry scene after heavy snowfall overnight. The weather conditions caused road closures and travel delays in some areas, with an amber warning for snow from the Met Office in force for much of the day.
The Met Office issued a fresh weather warning for snow and ice tomorrow, with more bad weather expected at the start of the new week. The yellow weather warning is set to come into force from midnight on Sunday, January 5. This latest weather warning is set to remain in force until midday on Monday, January 6.
The forecaster said to expect further snow in places, along with icy stretches, leading to some disruption, especially to travel. A weather warning on the Met Office website says: “Snow will become more sporadic during Monday morning. Icy stretches are likely to develop quite widely, making for some difficult travelling conditions.”
Today was all about the snow on Merseyside, with many families and dog walkers taking the opportunity to make the most of the wintry scenes by heading to local parks and beaches. Children rushed to build snowmen and make snow angels before the rain washed away much of the wintery magic.
But the weather didn’t result in fun for everyone – with travel chaos causing lorries and buses to become stranded in areas of the city, as well as a temporary closure of the runway at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. A spokesperson for the airport posted on social media: “The runway has reopened and flights are now operating again, however the bad weather has subsequently caused a number of delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline regarding particular flights.”
Passengers at the snow covered Ainsdale Station(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Lorries that were delivering goods to supermarkets in south Liverpool became stuck on the final stretch of their journeys on Park Road in Dingle . Treacherous driving conditions meant a number of heavy goods vehicle drivers were left with no choice but to stop on the side of the road.
Two lorries delivering goods to Tesco, as well as an Aldi lorry and a number of buses, became stranded on Park Road, with vehicles parked up on either side of the road. A gritter returned to the area at around 9am to offer further assistance, as the lorry and bus drivers waited until they were able to move again.
Among incidents reported on the roads this morning was another HGV which was stranded on Parliament Street on the edge of Liverpool city centre. Merseyside Police also issued a warning about conditions on Childwall Valley Road. Merseyrail announced services between Rock Ferry and Chester were cancelled due to the weather and rail replacement buses were in operation, but services were back up and running on the line later in the day.
A man braving the snow covered Ainsdale Village(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
After an emergency meeting was held this morning, Liverpool FC confirmed the fixture against Manchester United would go ahead as planned. A statement read: “Today’s fixture against Manchester United will go ahead as planned. Two safety meetings were held earlier to assess the weather and travel conditions.
“We thank everyone involved in helping us to get this game on today. If you’re travelling to Anfield, then please take extra. We look forward to seeing you there”
A dog enjoying the snow in Greenbank Park in Liverpool this morning(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Minutes later, United released their own statement: “Following a second safety meeting, it has been decided that today’s match between Manchester United and Liverpool will go ahead. There have been snowfall and weather warnings across the North West on Sunday, but it has been deemed safe for fans to attend the 4.30pm kick-off.”
The Premier League also released a statement: “Liverpool’s Premier League fixture with Manchester United, scheduled to take place at 4.30pm on Sunday, will go ahead as planned. The city of Liverpool and the region of the North West of England were hit by snow overnight. Following two safety meetings, in which the weather and travel conditions were assessed, it was decided the match can go ahead.