Army Drafted In As NHS Struggles And Snow Strands Thousands On Roads And Trains

Army Drafted In As NHS Struggles And Snow Strands Thousands On Roads And Trains

Hundreds of motorists and rail passengers were left stranded overnight as extreme weather continues to wreak havoc across the UK.

Strengthening winds caused blizzards and drifting snow in some parts, bringing roads to a standstill and leaving commuters facing travel disruption for the fourth day in a row.

Two police forces declared “major incidents” as the Army was drafted in to help rescue those trapped in their cars and provide assistance to hospitals and medics.

Rail passengers were stranded in frosty carriages overnight, while thousands of homes across the country were left without power.

Hampshire Police said they had called in the military to help evacuate people from the A31, while Avon and Somerset Constabulary said about 100 vehicles had become stuck on the A303 at Ilminster.

In Scotland, the severe weather is causing travel disruption, with roads closed and dozens of drivers stuck in a snowdrift.

Troops were called in to transport medics to and from Edinburgh’s two biggest hospitals after a request from NHS Lothian to the Scottish Government.

The extreme weather has seen health boards cancel non-essential operations and outpatient appointments on Friday, while NHS 24 has described its operations as being “stretched”.

Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow saw tiles fly from its roof under pressure from the extreme weather.

The so-called “Beast from the East”, which met Storm Emma on Thursday, has already proved deadly.

A seven-year-old girl became the latest to die during the severe weather on Thursday.

The child, believed to be a pedestrian, was fatally injured when a car hit a house in Bodrigan Road in Looe at about 2.30pm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A 75-year-old woman was earlier found dead in a snow-covered street in Leeds, while Hampshire Police said a 46-year-old man died after a collision involving a lorry and van on the A34 southbound near Tot Hill services.

A 60-year-old man who died after being pulled from the water at Danson Park, near Welling, south-east London, on Wednesday, was named by the Metropolitan Police as Stephen Cavanagh.

The National Grid withdrew a “gas deficit warning”, reassuring households that domestic supplies would not be affected.

Nearly all train operators warned of cancellations and disruption again on Friday and hundreds more flights were cancelled.

Motorists across much of the UK have been warned against driving unless absolutely essential.