Editorial: The snowy conditions are beautiful but create worries too

​In Northern Ireland, many of us have been waking up this week to beautiful snowy scenes.

The cold weather may make our landscapes look spectacular, but of course it also brings problems and hazards, including a greater chance of accidents on our roads and footpaths.

The snow and ice have already caused treacherous driving conditions, long delays for commuters and some closed schools yesterday.

In many parts of the world, these conditions would be considered unremarkable or even rather mild, but for the most part we enjoy a moderate climate in the UK, so any cold snap usually causes a degree of disruption.

As older people know even better than younger people, there is a risk of falling on slippery surfaces, which, in turn, causes our hospitals to be busy.

It was already an extremely pressurised time of the year in accident and emergency departments, as they grappled with a reported surge in cases of flu and other viral illnesses.

Unfortunately, it also looks likely that the freezing temperatures will continue tomorrow, when public sector workers go on strike.

As a result of that action, the NHS is expected to run a reduced service, akin to Christmas Day, and all but the most major roads will go untreated.

For that reason, the Department of Infrastructure has warned that people should avoid travelling on Thursday if possible.

Of course, the truth is that many journeys will still be necessary and the timing of the strikes could scarcely be more unfortunate, which was entirely foreseeable.

At the News Letter, while the cold weather continues we nevertheless hope that our readers manage to keep warm, enjoy the snowy scenery and stay safe.