Icy conditions could persist as milder spell expected at weekend

Commuters faced another morning of rush hour chaos yesterday as ice continued to cause disruptions on roads across the Province.

Freezing temperatures continued overnight on Monday – dipping as low as -6.7 degrees in Katesbridge, Co Down – and a yellow weather warning for ice remained in place until around 11am yesterday.

A Met Office spokesperson told the News Letter last night a milder spell of weather looked set to arrive on Sunday and continue into next week.

He added that there was a “low chance” of a white Christmas this year.

Slippery roads and footpaths were the order of the day for many parts of the Province yesterday.

Ice and fog led to problems for many motorists, and a number of road traffic collisions resulted in long delays, especially in the Ballymena area, where the busy Frocess Road was down to one lane for a time following a crash.

Translink bus services were also affected by the adverse conditions, with some disruption in the Antrim area.

Buses in Ballymena were also unable to serve some rural roads and in the Coleraine area, some smaller roads were not being served due to ice.

NI Railways services were not affected by the weather conditions.

After two days of disruptions at Belfast’s two airports on Sunday and Monday – which saw a number of flights cancelled and hit by heavy delays – normal service resumed yesterday, with only minor delays on some routes.

There has been disruption in Northern Ireland since the first flurries of snow arrived on Friday.