The beast from the east storm has swung into Sheffield once again, bringing heavy snow and disruption.
The temperature in Sheffield and other areas of South Yorkshire drops to -7, with cold winds and icy conditions present throughout the week.
Met Office issued an amber warning for snow and ice on Monday, which later changed to yellow, with the weather likely having some impact on the following days.
The conditions over the last couple of days caused some problems to people’s lives, including the closure of schools, traffic jams and disruption to some public transport services.
The cyclist dismounted from a bicycle because of snow
❄️ ❄️ ❄️ Snow is causing disruption to some services in #SouthYorkshire – search for your service in our homepage disruptions area to check if it’s affected. Follow our Traveline team @TSYalerts for the very latest updates too https://t.co/TDbLo7xfRo pic.twitter.com/c1WLwM9QDK
— Travel South Yorkshire (@TravelSYorks) February 9, 2021
James Ahmed, 27, NHS administrator says: ‘’It did not affect me massively, I stayed home on one of the days and managed to cope with my chores relatively well.
‘’I needed to put the heating on more, but we normally get a cold snap around this time of year, so I am used to it.’’
Moreover, the weather could lead to a disruption on the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, with Sheffield Hospitals issuing a statement asking people not to travel to the vaccination hub if feeling unsafe.
SNOW UPDATE:
Sheffield Arena Covid-19 vaccinations going ahead.
8 FebruaryCOVID-19 vaccination appointments are still going ahead today at Sheffield Arena. However we do not want anyone to put themselves at risk if they feel it is not safe to travel due to the snow…
— Sheffield Hospitals (@SheffieldHosp) February 8, 2021
However, later the Hospitals confirmed that the weather did not have a significant impact on the vaccination: ‘’We had very few people who did not turn up. The tiny number who were not able to come have been re-booked and so there is no detrimental impact on them.’’
There were also positive aspects of unusual conditions. Children in the parks with their parents building snowmen, students sliding form the hills – all of that provided a needed break from the lockdown routine.
Mr Ahmed says: ‘’It made the lockdown easier if anything, snow is nice to look at and you can have some fun in it, next-door neighbours children made snowmen and were enjoying themselves.’’
Despite all the problems, freezing winds coming from the East are not expected to be as impactful as in 2018, when snow was reaching four inches deep and the coldest day of March in history was recorded. The weather will continue to be cold and dry, but the conditions will not be as extreme.