Wales weather: Cars overturn and schools shut in icy conditions

Cars have ended up on their roofs and some schools have been shut after snow caused "treacherous" conditions in parts of Wales, police have said.

Met Office weather warnings have been extended until noon on Wednesday, with up to 10cm (4in) of snow expected in some areas.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, three cars overturned in lanes around Pendoylan but there were no reports of injuries.

Across north Wales, nine road incidents were reported but no serious injuries.

North Wales Police said late on Tuesday that due to snow and ice, the A470 between Llanelltyd and Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd was closed.

Borras Hall Lane between Llan y Pwll and Gresford, Flintshire, also closed overnight due to ice and snow.

Near Merthyr Tydfil, a 200-tonne landslide has made the road between Trefechan and Talybont-on-Usk, Powys, impassable.

Merthyr Tydfil council said it had been closed between The Aberglais Inn and a property known as the Spanish House.

The road is expected to re-open next week.

South Wales Police said an old mine flooding meant a road was closing between 20:00 GMT on Tuesday and 06:00 on Wednesday in Llwynypia, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The road will be shut north of traffic lights on the A4058 to the road's junction with Glandwr Terrace.

Jon Terry described how he crashed after returning from driving his five-year-old son to school, heading to Bonvilston, but was turned back due to black ice, so headed back past Pendoylan.

"I was driving about 15 or 20 miles an hour, pretty slow, and I saw a car up ahead," he said. "It's a single track lane and you have to give way or reverse to make space.

"The other car was stopped so I put the brakes on and then all of a sudden the back end of my car swung round to the right."

He said that forced the front of the car up, it went into the hedge, tilted over and slammed on its side.

"Then just all the airbags went off, there was smashed glass all over me and I slid a bit down the road," he said.

"The guy who was in the other car came over and helped me out. I had to get up through the passenger side door vertically and then I was helped down."

He was taken to a nearby house and offered a cup of coffee and waited for the police to arrive.

He said the police told him they had been to a similar incident earlier, and as he was being driven home, another car had overturned and a woman with blood on her wrist was standing nearby.

"I looked in the car and saw something moving," said Mr Terry, who got out of the car he was in to help a man out of the overturned one.

Traffic information site Inrix said the A4119 was closed in both directions from the A473 at Talbot Green, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, to Ely Valley Road at the Coed Ely roundabout.

There were also several temporary road closures, and venues including Conwy Castle have been forced to shut.

Denbighshire council reported emergency closures of seven schools, while "heavy snowfall" has also led to the closure of four schools and three education centres in Conwy county, and nine schools in Flintshire.

Earlier, North Wales Police urged motorists to take care, with crashes in Ruthin, Denbighshire, and Bala in Gwynedd as some roads were "impassable due to snow and ice".

Both the South Wales and Dyfed-Powys police forces also warned of "treacherous" conditions.

The Met Office said there was a risk of falls on icy surfaces and there could be travel disruption.

An initial yellow warning for snow and ice across north Wales ends at 12:00 GMT on Wednesday, with a separate warning for parts of south Wales in place from 18:00 on Tuesday to 12:00 on Wednesday.

As well as road closures, the forecaster warned of longer journey times by road, bus and rail.

Meanwhile, Welsh Water is urging people to ensure they are prepared for any further cold snaps this winter after thousands were left without water in the run up to Christmas.

It said customers can protect themselves by lagging any exposed pipes in cold areas, such as outdoors, in attics or cupboards and in any buildings that may be empty for a few days.