Wintry Londonderry grinds to a halt

Almost 100 schools across Northern Ireland, the majority of them in the North West, closed for the day.

Bus services across Londonderry were suspended this morning, although a limited service was introduced later in the day. Many taxi firms also suspended services.

Derry City Council cancelled all bin collection services and closed the cemeteries and civic amenity sites.

Jobseekers due to attend Lisnagelvin and Foyle Jobs and Benefits Offices, and Strabane Social Security Office, today were excused from signing.

Although police advised that roads in the city remained passable with care, many usually busy routes were deserted this morning.

That was in sharp contrast to the scenes in the Waterside during Monday evening’s rush hour when traffic was brought almost to a standstill.

The Waterside Link route from the Craigavon Bridge was bumper to bumper and was the main route out of the city towards Belfast as vehicles struggled for grip on the icy uphill surfaces.

At one point two lorries became stranded side-by-side on the two-lane Glendermott Road blocking traffic heading towards Altnagelvin.

Rain and high winds are forecast for later today with more snow forecast for the weekend.