Take care on roads as big freeze continues

4:53pm Tuesday 6th January 2009

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THE big chill continues tonight, with temperatures in Swindon expected to drop to minus 5C or further.

Drivers are urged to take care on the roads, only travel if necessary and to go prepared with warm clothes and food in case they become stranded.

Monday saw thousands of motorists hit difficulties in the busiest day of breakdowns in five years.

As parts of the UK plunged to as low as minus 11C (12.2F), record numbers called for emergency help during the rush hour with many schools failing to reopen after the Christmas break.

The AA and RAC said the situation was worse than it had been since 2004, with more than 40,000 call-outs over the past 36 hours.

The greatest surge of breakdowns were recorded in the Bristol, Bournemouth, London and Birmingham areas.

A spokesman for the AA said: "We were getting 2,800 call-outs for assistance every hour. People must be prepared. We cannot highlight enough how important it is for travellers to take extra layers with them. Many more schools reopened today and it has had a significant impact as parents try to get their cars started."

An RAC spokeswoman added: "It's been our busiest day in five years."

Experts predict that temperatures in the South will fall further overnight on Tuesday, to -8C or -9C, as an unusually large high-pressure system dominates the UK weather. That is more than 10C below seasonal temperature norms of a degree or two above freezing for this time of year.

Brendan Jones, a forecaster at MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Across large parts of England and Wales we will see -5 or -6C, while in the south they will go to -7C. But tomorrow in the South is going to be colder than tonight, with temperatures falling to -8C or -9C."

The good news is things should start to thaw out slightly by Saturday, with temperatures reaching a positively balmy 3C.