Motorists stuck for seven-hours inside cars on M62 in freezing overnight conditions
Motorists were left stuck on the M62 overnight as Storm Larisa continues to batter Britain with gales and blizzards.
It's no secret that the UK is experiencing a cold snap right now, with many regions experiencing snowfall and heavy rain as temperatures plummeted.
For drivers on the motorway running through Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, it was a long wait as traffic was brought to a standstill in the early hours of this morning (10 March).
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Some drivers were so fed up that they abandoned their vehicles after they were left stranded for up to eight hours.
At one point, congestion on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale and Saddleworth continued for approximately eight miles, according to National Highways.
Drivers have now been warned about the area as the agency said to expect delays of at least three hours between Rochdale and Huddersfield.
And it's a similar story on the westbound carriageway between Huddersfield and Saddleworth, where two lanes remain closed, with National Highways estimating a delay of around 90 minutes.
National weather services suggest to avoid the roads as Storm Larisa continues to bring treacherous conditions to the UK. Alongside safety concerns, some areas are simply inaccessible.
That includes the Peak District, where Derbyshire Constabulary has urged drivers not to travel this morning 'unless absolutely necessary' as most high roads in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales areas were 'impassable'.
The police force said that it is working with mountain rescue teams to respond to the numerous reports of stranded cars.
Simon Peach, PA's chief football writer, has been stuck on the motorway for more than seven hours after covering Manchester United’s Europa League match at Old Trafford in Manchester on Thursday night (9 March).
"I’ve moved about 25 miles over the course of the night, and the first 15 miles or so were clear, so I’ve been at a standstill for a really long time," he said.
"Since I arrived I’ve seen maybe two or three police vehicles and a couple of travel vehicles. A road sweeper came along once or twice but they haven’t been able to clear the roads properly.
"I’ve never had to drive through anything like this before. My drive home would usually be about an hour and a half, the most it has ever taken me is two and a half hours. I could have flown to New York in that time.
"According to my watch it’s currently minus 1C. I think at one point it dropped to minus 4C, but according to my weather app it feels like minus 7C."
Adding to this, video journalist Richard McCarthy, who was in Manchester to cover the same match, said he didn't get home until 7am after being stuck on the road for more than seven hours.
"I saw lots of abandoned sports cars, one Jaguar left on the road with a shovel stuck in the ground next to it and no driver," he explained.
"There were lots of lorries losing momentum and getting stuck."
A 28-year-old NHS worker named Emma Hamilton has been amid the traffic for a whopping eight hours while travelling from Manchester to Yorkshire.
She told Mail Online: "I’m trying to get home from the Man United game last night. The traffic was fine on the way there yesterday as there wasn’t as many cars on the road and I set off in good time to allow for the weather.
"I’m just tired and upset at the lack of any direction from authorities. We’ve all sort of been left to it to direct ourselves."
Emma added: "It honestly feels never-ending at this point."
Daisy Phillipson