BRADFORD Council's depot in Wakefield Road was a hive of activity today as staff prepared the fleet of gritters for this weekend's wintry blast.

Bradford's 'Priority One' routes are set to be gritted again from 5am tomorrow, with Storm Arwen hitting the UK and bringing strong winds, rain, colder temperatures and even snow to some areas.

A yellow weather warning is already in place for Bradford as temperatures drop to three degrees.

The high winds were expected to start overnight, with snow over the hills. By 8pm, there were reports of snowfall on the M62 near Huddersfield.

Outbreaks of rain, snow and sleet are expected, with conditions turning showery later.

As of tonight, the warning only applied to Saturday, with low temperatures continuing into Sunday.

The Council confirmed that crews would be out gritting Priority One areas at 5am tomorrow.

Priority 1 areas include all main roads and bus routes across the district.

Gritting route requests can be made to the council to ensure the safety of all drivers and those on the roads.

The council has given reassurance that there is plenty of grit available for the winter period and plenty of drivers for the job.

A spokesperson for the Council said: “We’ve no concerns about our gritting stocks or driver numbers.”

The Met Office is expecting the spell of high wind to cause power cuts, affect mobile phone coverage while there is a slight chance of damage to buildings, such as tiles being blown from roofs.

There is also a possibility that rural communities across the district could be cut off from the national grid.

Delays to some rail journeys and travel on the district's roads are also likely, the Met Office said.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has advised customers to defer any travel plans for the weekend due to extreme weather conditions.

Warrick Dent, LNER Safety and Operations Director, said: “We are encouraging our customers with tickets dated for the coming weekend to defer their travel arrangements where possible.

“We expect services to be extremely busy throughout the weekend and advise customers to check our website and social channels for the latest information.”

A Northern spokesperson said: “We are working hard, in conjunction with colleagues from across the industry, to keep our services operating.

“The weather continues to deteriorate and I urge anyone who will be using our services this weekend to allow extra time for travel and to check carefully before setting off.”

The yellow weather warning came into place from midnight and ends at 6pm today.