Gales, snow and flu add to the winter misery
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Your support makes all the difference.Gale-force winds of up to 70mph are expected to batter much of Britain today.
A severe weather warning was issued by the Meteorological Office last night after snow and driving rain had disrupted parts of the country. The south of England and the North-west are expected to bear the brunt as strong winds cross the English Channel and the Irish Sea in the early hours.
Heavy seas hampered rescuers in Cornwall yesterday as they tried to recover the body of a 31-year-old Japanese student who was swept into the sea during a walk along the coast path at Rocky Valley, near Tintagel, on Thursday.
Snow and freezing temperatures brought chaos to northern England and Scotland. Four inches of snow fell on high ground in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. Worst-affected was Inverness, where snow and high winds caused long tailbacks and numerous accidents on roads.
In Fife, more than 20 schools had to close early, and gritters took to the roads in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh. By early evening rain began to fall, turning snowfalls on main routes into slush, which began to freeze as temperatures dropped overnight.
The severe weather in Scotland added to the misery caused by the winter vomiting virus that has disrupted schools and hospitals.
The Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow which had been closed for a week after a severe outbreak of the virus, reopened its doors to new admissions yesterday.
About 300 patients and staff at the hospital fell victim to the 48-hour bug, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. In total more than 16 hospitals across Scotland were affected by the virus, outbreaks of which were reported south of the border as far apart as Manchester, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Dorset and Cornwall.
In a separate virus outbreak, 350 pupils at a school in Lanarkshire, central Scotland, have contracted flu.
Health chiefs said the results of tests on pupils at St Margaret's High School in Airdrie confirmed that the flu virus was to blame, and they urged elderly people and other at-risk groups to see their GP about having a vaccination as soon as possible.
Two other secondary schools in the Scottish Borders were also affected by flu. More than 350 pupils at Berwickshire High School in Duns and 190 children at Eyemouth High School have contracted the bug. A Borders Council spokesman said 40 per cent of pupils at Berwickshire High School were absent ill at the end of last week when the outbreak was at its height.
Health officials warned of the possibility of a widespread flu epidemic in the next few weeks.
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