It's the calm before the (rain and snow) storm

By pwiltshire

Forecasters say Bath's brief respite from the snow chaos could be shattered later today.

A combination of snowstorms, increasing bitter northeasterly winds and heavy rain are expected to plunge the city back into transport chaos tonight and tomorrow morning.

After days of disruption due to snow and ice, the spectre of flooding has now been added to the equation.

The belt of bad weather is likely to move in at the end of the afternoon, but the Met Office says there are also likely to be icy roads and pavements in some sheltered parts this morning after another cold night last night

Bus services in Bath have returned to normal today as main roads remain clear of ice and snow, and park and ride sites are all operating.

The Royal United Hospital cancelled some routine surgery today but outpatient appointments returned to normal this afternoon.

A spokeswoman said: "The hospital will be closely monitoring the weather situation over the next 24 hours but there are no plans to cancel any

appointments or clinics at this time."

The spokeswoman said the RUH Trust was grateful to all staff who had gone to extra efforts to get in to work.

"The trust has thanked all its staff who made every effort to come to work, including those who were on a day off, with some even staying overnight to

make sure the excellent level of care was maintained."

The RUH has laid on a 4x4 vehicle to help people get to and fro.

It says its accident and emergency department saw fewer patients over the weekend than on the

previous weekend, "with many people taking heed of public messages not to

take unnecessary risks in the snow."

Driving conditions in Bath eased over the weekend as several days' worth of snow began to melt.

Ungritted side roads remained icy, and pavements too have been hazardous in places.

Bath and North East Somerset Council carried out salting runs on main roads over the weekend.

Its highways teams are stiill working round the clock to keep an eye on roads and had inspectors checking the network throughout the night.

The council says it has also concentrated its efforts on the entrances to the RUH.

A spokesman added: "Pedestrians should be careful on pavements where ice may still remain in some places. This particularly applies to areas on higher ground where the snowfall was heavier and there is less footfall than cities, where a greater number of pedestrians and vehicles have circulated any salt used by the council."

All council car parks were open today but the council says motorists should use them with care because of settled snow and ice in some places.

The council is aiming to get rubbish collections back to normal today after missing three days of work due to the weather this week.

Street cleaning staff were drafted in to grit pavements and car parks over the weekend.

On Friday, every state school in Bath and North East Somerset was shut and almost all aspects of community life were affected in one way or another by the worst snow for 18 years but they were all back to normal today.

Some pupils were set work to do at home, with Ralph Allen School posting e-learning activities on its website.

After more than foot of snow on Thursday night, the council used snowploughs in some areas and even drafted in farmers to help clear roads in rural parts.

Timsbury Cricket Club’s annual cabaret night - which starred the Wurzels - avoided becoming another casualty of the winter storms after a big effort by members of the club and the Conygre Hall Trust.

The event at the hall was under threat due to the condition of the car park but a large group of residents managed to clear the snow that had covered the area around the building in a five-hour operation.

It has been a busy time for taxi companies, with the bad weather meaning people do not want to drive themselves.

Abbey Taxis chairman John Innerd said: "I would definitely say it has been very busy, but we have to be careful with the icy weather."

Great Western Ambulance Service has urged people to take extra care on foot and when driving.

It drafted in 30 4x4 vehicles to answer the 821 calls it received during a 24 hour period between 6pm on Wednesday and 6pm on Thursday.

One in six of these 999 calls were due to people falling in the snow and ice.

Chief executive Anthony Marsh thanked the emergency services staff and voluntary groups such as St John Ambulance and the Red Cross for their hard work.

He said: “On behalf of patients, I would like to express my gratitude to all those people and to reassure the public that I am confident we can continue to deliver this excellent level of service despite the bad weather forecast to continue for the next few days at least.”

He added: "This week's adverse weather has been a superb example of the NHS, emergency services and voluntary sector working together. By doing so, it has meant our staff have been able to continue responding to 999 emergencies and delivering excellent patient care.

"So far, we have not had to deal with significantly higher numbers of 999 calls – but more calls have been for incidents such as traffic collisions and falls. The weather forecast for the next few days suggests more of those incidents are likely – so I would urge people firstly to ask themselves if their journey is really necessary and, if it is, to take extra care whether they are driving or on foot.

"Given the potential increased demands on our staff over the next few days, I would also remind the public only to dial 999 for life-threatening emergencies. This will allow us to focus resources on those patients who genuinely need an ambulance response."

For anyone wanting to access medical help for something other than a life-threatening emergency, NHS Direct is a 24-hour service providing a wide range of advice and information about many conditions. They can be contacted on 0845 46 47 or visiting www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.