Storm Bert wreaks travel chaos with roads closed, trains axed & ferries cancelled – as snow building ‘thick and fast’

STORM Bert is wreaking havoc with the UK’s travel network, with road, rail and ferry routes all facing significant disruption.

A series of six red travel alerts have been activated, while the Met Office has announced yellow and amber weather warnings covering swathes of the nation.

All of the North, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as much of Scotland and the South Coast are braced for severe conditions.

An amber warning for snow and ice covers a section of the Scottish Highlands, while another for snow only stretches from just north of Manchester to Newcastle and then west to the Borders.

Forecasters say the storm could bring “heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK through the weekend”.

They added that this could potentially cause some travel disruption and even flooding.

And the first half of that prediction has already come to pass, as National Highways raised six serious travel alerts.

Officials announced that the A66, which crosses the Pennines in North Yorkshire, would be closed in both directions due to heavy snow.

Likewise, the nearby A628 has been hit with long delays between the A616 and the A57.

Drivers have been advised to seek “alternative routes” including the M60, M62 and M1.

Further south, the A14 is closed in both directions from J36 to J37 as a result of a “serious collision between three cars”.

One of the vehicles is reported to have rolled and there is “no indication” of how long the closure will remain in place.

Drivers travelling westbound are urged to exit at J37 and divert along the A142, A1123 and A10 before rejoining at J33.

There is no official diversion in place for eastbound motorists, who are advised to use “local routes” to avoid the shutdown.

Heading South West to Hampshire, the A34 is closed southbound between the A272 and the junction with the M3.

This is due to another “serious collision”, this time involving a tree.

A full diversion route, making use of the M3, can be found on the National Highways website.

The Severn Bridge, which allows cars to cross in South Wales, is closed in both directions due to strong winds.

The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge remains open and can be used instead, but extra traffic is expected.

Finally, there is a further warning for the North East in its entirety, with road bosses predicting “three to five hours of heavy snow” which will “accumulate quickly at all levels”.

This includes the closures of the A66, as well as disruption on the A628 and M62 as anywhere between two to four inches of snow fall.

Drivers are advised to plan their journeys in advance and check the route before setting out.

More information can be found on the National Highways website and via its regional X feeds.

You can also call its 24/7 contact centre team on 0300 123 5000 for “up to the minute” updates.

Elsewhere, ferry operators have cancelled or restricted several services over the weekend.

Select DFDS sailings between the UK and France have been cancelled, as have some P&O and CalMac routes around Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On the railways, Avanti West Coast has cancelled all services north of Preston, while South Western rail has asked passengers to only us the line west of Basingstoke where essential.

There are speed limits in place across Scotland and the Borders, leading to long delays, while ScotRail has cancelled or shorterned select services around Inverness, Glasgow and Carlisle.