Updated: Heavy snowfall hits South Essex

HEAVY snowfall has finally, as predicted, hit South Essex.

The snow began to fall at around 8.30am on Sunday after light flurries throughout Friday and Saturday.

The Met Office has warned that Essex and other parts of the South East will see the worst of the weather conditions.

Snow is expected to begin to fall into the night with forecasters predicting as much as five to eight centimetres falling along the Essex coastline, with two to five centimetres in other parts of the county.

Essex County Council gritters have continued to grit the county's main roads throughout Saturday day and evening.

However by 9am on Sunday town centre and residential roads were beginning to become treacherous.

Motorists leaving the A127 at Basildon found themselves instantly hitting snow covered roads.

Despite the A127 carriageway behing heavily gritted snow had begun to gather at the edges of the roadside and are set to become more treacherous as the day continues.

The Basildon exit of the A13 on the London-bound carriageway was closed at around 10.10am after a vehicle struck a lamppost while on Victoria Avenue in Southend another vehicle skidded and struck the central reservation.

Police are continuing to warn motorists to take care on the county's roads, avoiding travel by car where possible.

*As the snow hits email your photographs to echonews@nqe.com.

Comments(20)

Eric Whim says...
4:42pm Sat 19 Jan 13

don't forget this


http://www.echo-news
.co.uk/news/local_ne
ws/county_news/10027
601.County_Council__
_We_are_ready_for_co
ld_snap_/

Shoebury_Cyclist says...
9:21am Sun 20 Jan 13

Snow in winter. Whodathunkit.

Carnabackable says...
9:55am Sun 20 Jan 13

Time to get the ex-army Landrover out, with the ropes and chains, ready to save a maiden in distress...

Alice in Her Own Land :P says...
10:58am Sun 20 Jan 13

Typical! Three nights in a row the gritter passed my house, but the night before it was a near on certainty that it would snow, no gritter! You couldn't make it up!!

EssexPerson says...
11:05am Sun 20 Jan 13

I still dont understand how the country comes to a grind with every bad weather. No doubt schools already closing for tomorrow and the roads to work will be gridlocked. :(

Carnabackable says...
11:13am Sun 20 Jan 13

Crown Hill Rayleigh, boy racers attempts to climb the hill, reminds me of Benny Hill, in their fat exhausted Fiestas, and rear wheel drive Beemas

Eric Whim says...
12:27pm Sun 20 Jan 13

EssexPerson wrote:
I still dont understand how the country comes to a grind with every bad weather. No doubt schools already closing for tomorrow and the roads to work will be gridlocked. :(
The good folk of Essex have nothing to worry about - see the link in the post by me at the head of the thread.....

The County Council wouldn't lead us up the garden path after all, would they?

emcee says...
1:19pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Well I live right on top of a main road and gritter route in Southend. I have not even seen a gritter (or evidence of gritting) on this road at all this winter.

mr_happy says...
1:22pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Having now moved to Wales, in the middle of the Rhondda Valley. We live right on top of two steep hills. The gritters are out about 5 times during the days and regularly during the night. Not one car stuck and the town is opperating as normal. Oh yes, and no stabbings, muggings, robberies or fights.

emcee says...
1:25pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Eric Whim wrote:
don't forget this


http://www.echo-news

.co.uk/news/local_ne

ws/county_news/10027

601.County_Council__

_We_are_ready_for_co

ld_snap_/
No good if you live in Southend. They have their own gritters, don't they?

Carnabackable says...
1:26pm Sun 20 Jan 13

emcee wrote:
Well I live right on top of a main road and gritter route in Southend. I have not even seen a gritter (or evidence of gritting) on this road at all this winter.
Your probably not on the list, council house ?

Eric Whim says...
1:55pm Sun 20 Jan 13

emcee wrote:
Eric Whim wrote:
don't forget this


http://www.echo-news


.co.uk/news/local_ne


ws/county_news/10027


601.County_Council__


_We_are_ready_for_co


ld_snap_/
No good if you live in Southend. They have their own gritters, don't they?
dunno, don't live in Sarfend

Campbell's dad says...
1:56pm Sun 20 Jan 13

quote from your local press, , it's seemed to have been pulled, I wunder why?

Southend Airport ready for the worst of winter
9:00pm Thursday 10th January 2013

WHATEVER the worst of the British weather throws at us passengers flying from Southend are highly likely to still take off from Southend.

Southend Airport has the kit and procedures in place to ensure flights can come in and leave despite fog, snow and ice.

But the airport lists there are no departures listed and a couple of arrivals have been cancelled.

- so much for their snow
ploughs.
thought it had been nice & quite.

Max Impact says...
2:32pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Campbell's dad wrote:
quote from your local press, , it's seemed to have been pulled, I wunder why?

Southend Airport ready for the worst of winter
9:00pm Thursday 10th January 2013

WHATEVER the worst of the British weather throws at us passengers flying from Southend are highly likely to still take off from Southend.

Southend Airport has the kit and procedures in place to ensure flights can come in and leave despite fog, snow and ice.

But the airport lists there are no departures listed and a couple of arrivals have been cancelled.

- so much for their snow
ploughs.
thought it had been nice & quite.
If visibility drops below the airlines operating procedures minima than it is the airline that cancels the flight.

I take it you have no knowledge of such such things so in your hatred of the airport it has to be their fault, so what about Heathrow spending £25million and having the same problem.

Antonius says...
2:51pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Airport is operating as normal, for arrivals and departures.

Rochford Rob says...
2:54pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Antonius wrote:
Airport is operating as normal, for arrivals and departures.
Certainly is, three flights just passed over the house within the last 30 minutes.

Max Impact says...
3:41pm Sun 20 Jan 13

Rochford Rob wrote:
Antonius wrote:
Airport is operating as normal, for arrivals and departures.
Certainly is, three flights just passed over the house within the last 30 minutes.
Sadly the nimbys will post anything that makes it sound like things are not working right at the airport, that they are trying to put firms out of business but one thing they don't do is check facts first.

What campbells dada probaly did not check was conditions at other airports if they are out of limits then it will effect services at Southend but hey facts do they matter when it's an airport bashing session!

Each and every airline set out their own rules for each aircraft type they operate.

Max Impact says...
5:48pm Sun 20 Jan 13

I took the kids sledging, it was great to see so many people having fun and enjoying the snow happily together, no pushing or shoving, people waited for each other to have their turn, well done to the people of Southend for such a fun enjoyable day.

saarfender says...
1:36am Mon 21 Jan 13

Carnabackable wrote:
Time to get the ex-army Landrover out, with the ropes and chains, ready to save a maiden in distress...
Don't need to go that far, I've been out and about without any problems at all - BMW1 series, and no issues at all. Just the abliity to drive, and a pair of snow chains.

I don't know why people don't know how to drive in it, aren't prepared, forget what happened the previous year (it's the same every winter FFS), and somehow expect the councils to grit and clear every single road.

I'd rather nothing was cleared. At least then the surface is predictable (is that tarmac or re-frozen sheet ice?) and there's no need to keep stopping to put chains on/off.

Same for pavements. It's easy walking on snow/ice (again I have chains on my shoes), but as soon as people clear that away it freexes back to sheet black ice that is more treacherous.


Moan over. Time to go back to watching Ice Road Truckers - HGVs on sheet ice over lakes without chains or polluting salt.... now there's driving :)

Alekhine says...
2:43pm Mon 21 Jan 13

mr_happy wrote:
Having now moved to Wales, in the middle of the Rhondda Valley. We live right on top of two steep hills. The gritters are out about 5 times during the days and regularly during the night. Not one car stuck and the town is opperating as normal. Oh yes, and no stabbings, muggings, robberies or fights.
The football was cancelled then.

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