Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LONDON: More snow and ice are likely to hit parts of the UK on Boxing Day as rail strikes look set to cause further travel disruptions.
The Met Office has predicted two yellow weather warnings for December 26, with snow and ice alerts in place across large parts of Scotland.
According to the BBC, ice warnings have also been in place for most of Northern Ireland.
Traffic should build around shopping centers, as bargain hunters are forced onto the roads instead of railways.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) expects said 15.2 million cars on the roads throughout Monday but also said that many should be making short trips that are likely to be spread out throughout the day.
A spokesman said that traffic has likely to build around shopping centers as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales, and football fans should travel to see their teams.
Temperatures have expected to hit -4C in the Scottish Highlands and about 4C in Northern Ireland.
The Met Office’s weather has warnings for Boxing Day, including yellow alerts.
Ice and Snow for most of the Scottish Highlands and some lowland areas until 18:00 on Boxing Day.
Ice has hit Belfast and Newry in Northern Ireland until 10:00 on Boxing Day.
The Environment Agency had 42 active alerts for possible flooding in England.
Rail Strikes
Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers said that blizzards should hit high ground.
She said that showers, which should be wintry in places, will continue across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and far northern England; locally, these could be heavy with hail, or a thunderstorm might be possible.
Network Rail officials said railways across the UK should remain closed for a second day due to the walkout by employees who have members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport (RMT) union.
Merseyrail has due to run a half-hourly service across its network on Merseyside, with its website saying that trains should run between approximately 09:00 to 18:30 and only stop at selected stations.
