Goosnargh school closed due to icy roads and boiler breaks down at Little Hoole school

Rural Preston in the snow Pic Mark Ashmore

Three schools in central Lancashire are closed this morning amid ongoing freezing temperatures.

Preston has been subject to numerous Met Office weather warnings over the last fortnight, seeing flooding, snow and temperatures well below zero along the way.

Schools in central Lancashire have generally been open but the impact is starting to be felt.

In Goosnargh, St Francis’ Catholic Primary School is closed due to the weather. They said that the icy road conditions around the school meant they can’t open today.

In South Ribble, Little Hoole Primary School is closed today due to a breakdown of the boiler meaning no heating is available. Parts have been ordered to be fitted today (9 January) so the school can reopen tomorrow (10 January).

And in Chorley, Heskin Pemberton’s Church of England Primary School is closed due to the weather with safety in mind.

Cold temperatures are expected to continue into the weekend but by Tuesday, temperatures will be back as high as 10C in Preston.

Christoph Almond, deputy chief forecaster for the Met Office, said: “Thursday will see another cold night, with potentially the lowest temperatures of the Winter so far, -15°C – possibly -16°C is likely in locations with lying snow in Scotland or northern England.

“In the early hours of Friday, a front arriving from the west will encounter the cold air in place over the UK. This could bring further sleet or snowfall for some regions in the south and west, as well as a risk of ice for a time as it moves north-eastwards into central parts, but the extent of this is still uncertain.”

“By Sunday, milder air will have moved in across much of the UK, meaning rain is more likely than snow as we get to the end of the weekend. Northern Ireland and Western Scotland are most likely to see some showery outbreaks of rain and breezy conditions through Sunday and Monday, with conditions further south and east drier and more settled, but with some overnight fog and frost.”

Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.