Thaw sparks flood alert in Shropshire and Mid Wales
SHROPSHIRE AND Mid Wales was today put on flood alert as the big freeze turned into the big thaw.
The region was placed on a yellow rain alert as forecasters warned heavy downpours and rapidly-melting snow could trigger flash flooding.
The warning came after the area escaped the worst of the blizzards which swept northern England overnight, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded on the M6 in Lancashire.
The motorway was blocked in both directions between junctions 25 and 27 around Wigan when a sudden burst of more than a foot of snow brought drivers to a standstill at around 8.30pm, the Highways Agency said.
Many became stuck after struggling to make it up steep hills in the treacherous conditions, while a number of accidents also blocked lanes.
The M6, as well as the M56 and M58, are now all moving again but remain heavily congested, Lancashire Police said.
Milder
Meanwhile the Met Office has issued a yellow alert for rain and floods for Shropshire, Mid Wales, and a large swathe of the country for the whole of tomorrow as rapidly-rising temperatures trigger a big thaw.
Temperatures – which plunged to -6C (21F) on Thursday night – will climb to 9C (48F) and could get as high as 12C (54F) by Tuesday. But the milder air will bring heavy rain, with up to 0.8in (20mm) expected across much of the county and as much as 1.6in (40mm) on higher ground in western parts of the region.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "This rainfall, along with the thawing of lying snow and already saturated ground could lead to some flood alerts and flood warnings being issued."
Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for highways, said: "We are well prepared in the event of any flooding over the next few days as the snow melts."
Telford & Wrekin spokesman Russell Griffin added: "We are monitoring the situation."
