It could be a very difficult night for some – please look out for each other
File image of an ice warning sign is covered in snow (Image: Getty Images)
Temperatures are set to drop below freezing overnight as the blast of icy Arctic air continues to move across the UK.
The thermometer will hit the freezing point in the Devon areas affected by a massive gas supply cut.
Following damage caused to a gas mains pipe yesterday, around 4,600 properties have been left with gas supply and heating in the South Hams area.
Wales and West Utilities engineers have repaired the damage caused to the mains pipe, but work continues to restore gas to the affected homes and businesses.
As forecasters at the Exeter-based Met Office predict another night of -1°C, those affected by the gas outage have been supported and provided with alternative cooking and heating facilities.
The Met Office has warned of widespread disruption due to snow and ice across Devon until 11am on Tuesday (January 6).
The Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for the coming days and forecasters have said snow and hail showers are expected to travel further inland.
Forecasters said: “Whilst not all locations in the warning area will see snow, 1-3 cm could develop in many places by Monday morning, with the potential for 5-8 cm to build up in a few locations.
“Icy stretches are likely to form widely.”
South Devon forecast (Image: Met Office )
Temperatures are expected to drop to -1°C overnight, although it is not currently forecast to snow in the area, patches of rain and hail will move from Dartmoor, and some may see sleet and rain around 4am, so people may wake up to ice tomorrow morning.
Overnight forecast for areas affected by the gas outage
Kingsbridge forecast:
Kingsbridge forecast(Image: Met Office )
Malborough forecast:
Malborough forecast (Image: Met Office )
Salcombe forecast:
Salcombe forecast(Image: Met Office )
DevonLive has reported that around 4,600 properties have been left without gas after a main line was damaged by a third party in South Hams.
The supply was cut off to homes and businesses yesterday when the gas main was damaged during work by a “third party” in a field at Belle Hill, near Kingsbridge.
It cut off gas to the South Hams settlements of Kingsbridge, Malborough and Salcombe and Wales and West Utilities engineers worked through the night to fix the pipeline in what was described as a “very challenging” operation.
A Wales and West Utilities spokesperson said: ““As part of the process to restore supplies, we are continuing to visit every property with a gas supply and switch off the supply at the control valve which is located near the meter.
“We have over 100 engineers working across the areas and we have already visited 60% of properties.”
Follow all updates in our live blog on the gas supply cut here