5th December

The AA has said that the recent inclement weather has meant that there has been a sharp increase in vehicular pothole damage and patrol workload across the regions affected.

Last week, the United Kingdom was hit by a sudden bout of inclement weather, with large portions of the country experiencing snowy conditions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued weather warnings, both yellow and amber cold-health alerts for northern regions of England that end today on Tuesday 5 December.

Drivers were advised to drive cautiously during the night as the subzero temperatures might cause roads to be icy and slick due to the continuous refreezing of thawed snow.

Pedestrians were not spared either with pavements around Newcastle falling to a similar fate of being frozen over by thawed snow, creating slipping hazards all across the city.

The recent inclement weather has been largely contributed by a cold snap, a sudden and swift wind pattern blowing cold air into an otherwise relatively warmer region.

Much of the northern parts of the UK have experienced the cold snap, with Scotland seeing temperatures below freezing, Newcastle experiencing snow showers along with other parts of the north like the Lake District region.

Although the risk of snow has since decreased, a warning has been issued by the Met Office on the 4th about flood risks within the coming days.

The local AA was reached out to for a comment regarding the state of roads in the Northeast. Tony Rich of the AA says, “The recent weather forecast of a colder Northeast with both ice and snow has meant that there has been an increase in patrol workload, an increase in pothole damages on vehicles, and an overall increase in workload in general.”

Advice to Drivers by the AA