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Snow and ice warnings remain in place for West Midlands

BBC Weather Watchers/Rileyhev A young girl in a brown coat and waterproof trousers and pink hat sat on a snowy field next to a snowman. Houses can be seen in a street beyond.BBC Weather Watchers/Rileyhev
BBC Weather Watchers sent in photos from across the West Midlands, including this snowman in Bullingham, Herefordshire

Flurries of snow hit most parts of West Midlands region late on Saturday, with many enjoying a winter wonderland but others dealing with disruption.

Birmingham Airport suspended operations for several hours overnight but said it was on schedule for "business as usual" on Sunday.

As the snow turned to slush it led to flooding fears, with multiple alerts issued by the Environment Agency on the region's rivers.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in the region remain active until midnight, alongside an amber warning for snow in Staffordshire.

Staffordshire County Council leader Alan White, said: "As that snow melts, the excess water starts to run off and we have got to keep an eye on how that water is managed.

"We are hoping to see that water run off in a controlled manner but, as with always with these things, we have just got to keep an eye out."

A brown Cockapoo in a coat and patterned bib looking at the camera while standing in a snowy field.
Chester the Cockapoo wrapped up warm for a walk on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire

The Met Office issued a further yellow warning for outbreaks of heavy rain, running overnight until 06:00 GMT.

It is also predicting snow and ice will continue to impact Shropshire and Staffordshire until midday on Monday.

Power outages affected hundreds of West Midlands residents on Sunday morning, according to National Grid.

In Wolverhampton, 109 households lost power at about 05:00, with the problem not expected to be resolved until 17:00.

Bus routes in Birmingham and the Black Country returned to normal as weather improved after early disruption, but National Express West Midlands advised delays could continue.

BBC Weather Watchers/ Early Bird A barge on a frozen canal in Netherton, West Midlands. The tow path has a dusting of snow with two pairs of footprints. Woodland surrounds the canal and the sky is grey. BBC Weather Watchers/ Early Bird
The disruption across the West Midlands was not as severe as had been predicted

National Highways warned motorists rain falling on frozen routes could lead to ice, particularly on high ground.

Meanwhile Staffordshire Police advised drivers to take precautions, particularly in the Moorlands area, where farmers were thanked for using their ploughs to clear the roads.

"Clear your car of ice and snow, including the windscreen, rear window, wing mirrors and roof, before driving," said Scott McGrath from Staffordshire Police's road crime team.

"Don't start driving until the windscreen is fully defrosted and avoid driving altogether if weather conditions are extreme."

Some braving the cold took to sledges on hills across the region, including in Brough Park Staffordshire, which youngster Ivy described as "legendary".

"We were watching for hours out of the window waiting for it to start snowing and it was really exciting when we saw it coming down," she added.

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