Treacherous conditions as winter arrives

A yellow weather warning was put in place by the Met Office last Thursday (January 14) at 3am and remained in force until 12noon on Friday (January 15).

Due to the icy weather conditions the Edenticullo Road in Hillsborough was closed on Friday January 15.

CCTV operators in Lisburn also issued a warning on Saturday morning (January 16), reporting: “Please take extra care if travelling on the Ballinderry Road, Lisburn reports of very bad black ice on that stretch of road.”

The snow also created difficult driving conditions in thhe more rural parts of the city, particularly in the Dromara area.

Translink were forced to suspend all bus services, including school services, between Crumlin and Belfast on Friday as a result of snow.

“People out there travelling to work or on the school run should be very aware of the conditions and take care,” Transport NI’s Cathal Brown said.

Police in Lisburn also issued a warning to local people via social media, urging them to be cautious whilst out on the roads during the cold spell.

“Take extra care when you are out and about and do not leave your car running and unattended whilst waiting for windows to defrost,” said a spokesperson for Lisburn PSNI.

“Also, it is a good idea to keep warm clothing in your car in case of a breakdown.”

A second warning of snow and ice was issued by the Met Office from 5pm on Friday (January 15) until 111am on Saturday (January 16)

During the adverse weather, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council removed snow and gritted Council owned car parks around the City Centre, in addition to carrying out the same activities at its other facilities such as Lagan Valley Island and Lagan Valley LeisurePlex.