Uckfield under blanket of snow

UPDATED AT 6pm

Uckfield and surrounding areas have been covered by a thick blanket of snow overnight. Around 20cm to 30cm of snow has fallen.

All road travel is difficult and potentially hazardous.

Train operator Southern originally suspended all services “due to heavy snow fall and adverse weather conditions”.

Earlier this morning it said there would no services running south of East Croydon until further notice.

A limited service in the London area and along the Sussex coast has begun.

There have been no trains to or from Uckfield today. All departures timetabled for this evening have been cancelled.

There are no Brighton and Hove buses running through Uckfield. All Countryliner, Stagecoach and Renown services are suspended.

Schools closed include Blackboys, Buxted, East Hoathly, Fletching, Harlands, High Hurstwood, Holy Cross, Little Horsted, Manor, Nutley, Rocks Park, St Philip’s, UCTC.

The community college, Buxted Primary and High Hurstwood Primary have announced they will be closed tomorrow (Friday, December 3).

East Sussex County Council highways teams have been snow ploughing throughout the night, enabling the authority to "keep on top" of the situation.

The teams are continuing to plough and salt the main roads across the county, but there are a number that remain impassable.

A council statement said: “After 45cm of snow fell in some parts of the county last night we are focusing on the A and B roads and aim to have the majority open before darkness. Because of this, we will not be able to tackle the smaller roads and estate roads.

“We continue to receive some calls from members of the public asking why their roads have not been gritted or salted; when in reality they have been.

“When we clear snow we have to ensure the snow plough blade does not come into contact with the road surface or we risk snagging cats-eyes and man-hole covers.

“Consequently snow ploughing does leave a thin layer of snow behind, which is then salted and relies on vehicle actions to churn and melt the snow.

“The latest weather forecast from the Met Office indicates it will remain bitterly cold, breezy and cloudy, with further outbreaks of light to moderate snow this afternoon and into this evening.

“The snow will gradually peter out later this evening, to leave the rest of tonight dry with breaking cloud.

“Road temperatures will barely rise above freezing this afternoon, before falling well below freezing tonight.

“Regrettably this means those roads we are not able to clear today risk freezing overnight and will leave difficult driving conditions tomorrow morning, but we will continue to work through the night and tomorrow.

“Temperatures look set to rise towards the weekend, which should bring some respite.

“We have been working closely with the borough and district councils who have been collecting salt from our depots and have been using their staff to salt pedestrian areas.

“The conditions we are working in are difficult and naturally this takes its toll on our equipment. Our partner Colas has been working round the clock with running repairs to our gritters and snow ploughs. We would like to assure residents we are doing all we can in difficult circumstances.

“We do everything we can to keep the county running during severe weather, but one of the best things residents can do is to think about how they can help themselves. If you can, take steps to clear pavements of snow and ice outside your home or business, because whilst everyone would like their road and pavement gritted, we have to prioritise major roads rather than pavements to prevent the most serious accidents.”

Wealden District Council has suspended all refuse and recycling services. Maresfield household waste recycling centre is closed.

Its offices at Crowborough and Hailsham will close at 4pm.

Uckfield Library is closed as is the children's centre in Manor Way.

Sussex Police have advised people not to drive unless absolutely necessary.

The Sussex Air Ambulance has continued to provide a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service despite adverse weather conditions.

The pilot, specialist doctor and paramedic braved snow and freezing temperatures to get to their base on the West Sussex/Surrey border to ensure that the helicopter was operational.

Adrian Bell, Chief Executive of the Sussex Air Ambulance, said “At times such as this it is even more important that we are able to respond to severe medical emergencies.

“The dedication of our crews in travelling to work in such extreme weather conditions and sleeping at the base when necessary is exemplary and I am proud to be a part of this organisation."

The Sussex Air Ambulance, which was in operation at Uckfield last month, is funded almost entirely by public donations.

We will update this story, so please check back for later news.

Thank you to Gavin Rainbow the pictures taken in Uckfield High Street and to Charlotte Watson for the bottom two taken on the Manor Park Estate in Browns Lane and at the Dene.

See also more photographs taken in other parts of Uckfield.

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