National Grid issues warning as UK braced for five days of snow and ice

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery St Mary's Church in Goathland, North Yorkshire, is surrounded by snow as weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across all four nations of the UK The National Grid Electrical System Operator is responsible for moving electricity around the UK and ensuring that the nation’s energy supply meets national demand. In a message released on Tuesday morning, it said: “The ESO has issued an additional notification that we will warm four of our five winter contingency coal units for potential use on Tuesday 7 March.” It added: “The ESO as a prudent system operator has developed these tools for an additional contingency to operate the network as normal. We have got this feed of cold air coming in from a much higher latitude.” open image in gallery A woman pulls a child on a sledge through the snow beside the beach huts at Blyth in Northumberland “We expect these conditions to remain in place until at least next weekend and possibly longer because sometimes these conditions can be quite stubborn and not easily subject to change.” Snow began falling in Northern Scotland on Monday afternoon, and more than 20cm of it could accumulate over high ground in Scotland. However, after an extremely cold Tuesday, conditions remain slightly uncertain for Wednesday when a “battleground” is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.