Snow way !! It's back again....

Winter's back: Snowfall in Scotland as the Big Chill bites again... but in the south the flowers are springing into bloom

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:42 PM on 11th March 2011

A warmer-than-usual February had many hoping that spring was finally here, but winter has returned with a vengeance to parts of the UK.

As swathes of southern England enjoyed sunshine and temperatures in the double-digits, Northern Scotland was plunged back into winter with up to four inches of snow.

Residents in the Inverness area woke up this morning to a snow-covered landscape.

Northern Ireland has also been told to brace itself for a return of the Big Chill, and another four inches could fall in parts of Scotland today while the rest of Britain will be buffeted by continuing strong winds and rain.

Winter landscape: A man walks his dog along a snow-covered street in Culbokie, near Inverness, this morning

A sign of things to come: Snow fell in Scotland overnight and heavier falls are expected this week

Yesterday a man was crushed to death by a lorry after gale force winds toppled it on to a pedestrian crossing as winter made an unexpected return today.

A women was also injured by the overturned truck as people fled in panic as the HGV careered towards them in Leeds city centre.

And following the heavy wind yesterday, the Met Office issued another weather warning for heavy snow in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland today with a risk of blizzard conditions.

West Yorkshire Police said a curtain-sided lorry overturned on Neville Street, Leeds, yesterday and confirmed that a man injured in the incident died from his injuries in hospital and a woman is still being treated for her injuries.

The force also said a person had been seriously injured in a separate accident on the A1 near Pontefract when a lorry blew over and four cars collided with each other.

High winds battered Yorkshire for much of yesterday, causing some minor structural damage to buildings and problems on the roads.

There were a number of weather-related incidents including a Mercedes sprinter van blowing over on the northbound carriageway of the A1 on Thursday afternoon, two miles south of Dishforth  The two occupants were uninjured.

An HGV was also blown over on the southbound carriageway just south of the Boroughbridge junction, police said.

And elsewhere a tree was blown over onto a train at Knaresborough station, leaving two passengers with minor injuries, while a large tree collapsing in Ripon caused damage to nearby parked vehicles.

Blown over: High winds caused this lorry to overturn on a main road in Leeds, killing a pedestrian, as the gales continued to batter the north of the country

Major disruption: The lorry had been on Neville Street in the centre of Leeds when the incident occurred

Metal, plastic and other debris were reported on the A1 near Dishforth and a van also lost part of its roof on the A1. And a fence was blown over in the village of Drax near Selby, allowing sheep to escape from a field.

The weather has also caused problems in Scotland, where an elderly motorist died and another person was injured as a result of a four vehicle pile-up on a notorious stretch of the A9 in Highland Perthshire.

A 70-year-old man had to be cut free from his vehicle and received treatment at the scene but he died as a result of his injuries a short time later.

A spokesman for Tayside Police confirmed there had been one fatality and that at least one other person required medical assistance at the crash scene at Calvine.

More problems: The winds affected roads in other areas, including the A1 where a lorry was blown over at the Boroughbridge junction

The return of the snow follows a sunny start to March for much of the country and a milder than usual February.

Dave Britton, a Met Office spokesman, said: ‘It’s going to be very windy and there will be some snow in Scotland, Cumbria and Northumbria.

‘We have got a band of rain coming in today and it will turn to snow this evening for parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England. On hills there’s the potential for 5 to 10cm (2 to 4ins) by Saturday evening, while parts of Scotland could get up to 30cm (12ins) by then.’

He said weather warnings were in place for Scotland over the next couple of days and for England today.

The snow showers will be accompanied by strong winds in England, with gusts up to 30mph. While the rest of Britain will escape the snow, it will be a dull and occasionally rainy weekend.

Signs of spring: While the windy weather continues, daffodils were blossoming in St James' Park in London, suggesting that winter is on the way out

The west will see most of the wet weather on Saturday, while eastern parts will get the rain on Sunday. 

But Monday is expected to be mostly dry with some sunshine.

The long-term forecast is for mostly settled weather in England over the next month, with less rain than normal for March and early April, although there could be some bitterly cold nights.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to be more unsettled, the Met Office said. Britain was buffeted by gale force winds yesterday, with gusts of 65 to 75mph.

Despite the snow flurries, wildlife experts say the seasons are back on schedule after an early upset.

The coldest December in 100 years delayed the start of the earliest spring flowers, such as snowdrops and crocuses, by two or three weeks. But daffodils are now bursting into life on time.

Mr Britton said: ‘Although December was cold, February was relatively mild. This winter was not as cold as last winter.’

Windy walkers: One person was caught in a sandstorm on Tynemouth beach caused by the high winds, while walking their dog

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365087/Winter-weathers-Snowfall-Scotland-Big-Chill-bites-again.html#ixzz1GIdm245f