A major incident has been declared this morning after a double decker bus overturned on a road in Somerset.
Avon and Somerset Police said it was called at around 6am on Tuesday morning to the A39 Quantock Road, near Bridgwater, following a road-related incident involving a double decker bus and a motorcyclist.
Closures are in place at the junction of Sandford Hill and Quantock Road.
The force has urged motorists to avoid all but essential travel in the area as wintry conditions continue wreak havoc on roads.
A spokesperson from Avon and Somerset Police said: “A significant number of police, fire and ambulance units are on the scene and a major incident has been declared.”
The force added on Twitter: “Please only travel if it is absolutely essential!
“The conditions are extremely icy and dangerous due to the freezing conditions overnight and residual water on the road from the past week’s wet weather.”
It followed an earlier statement from police on Tuesday morning, saying it had received more than 100 reports of road-related incidents in five hours.
A total of 53 road traffic collisions were reported to police between 6pm and 11pm on Monday evening, with the majority being a result of the freezing weather causing dangerous driving conditions.
The force said seven of the incidents were reported to have resulted in injuries but they are not thought to be serious.
A further 67 calls were received for other road-related incidents.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a government health agency, issued a level three cold alert on Monday in response to “severe winter weather”.
The Met Office has said all of England will continue to experience cold weather until 9am on Friday.
Forecasters issued a yellow warning for ice across southern England which is in place until 10am on Tuesday morning, with ice likely to cause difficult driving conditions.
A separate yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place in Cornwall and Devon until 10am.
An amber weather warning for heavy snowfall is also in place across parts of eastern Scotland.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan activated the capital’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers on Monday, as temperatures in the city are expected to plunge below 0C overnight.
The Met Office has warned that “snow showers and icy stretches may bring some disruption” and could lead to longer journeys for drivers and train passengers.
It said treacherous conditions could also lead to slips and falls on icy surfaces, and urged drivers and cyclists to beware of icy patches on untreated roads.
Amber and yellow weather warnings have been issued across the country as the wintry weather descends
