motorists stranded overnight on M62 for hours due to heavy snow

After more than seven hours of being stopped in miles-long tailbacks created by a night of heavy snowfall, drivers are still stuck on the M62 motorway.

Long portions of the route running through Yorkshire and Greater Manchester were ground to a halt in the early hours of Friday morning, with some drivers claimed to have abandoned their vehicles.

According to National Highways, two lanes were closed between junctions 20 and 22; at one stage, traffic on the eastbound highway between Rochdale and Saddleworth stretched for approximately eight miles.

According to the agency, there are now at least three-hour delays eastbound between Rochdale and Huddersfield, and at least 90-minute delays westbound between Huddersfield and Saddleworth, where two lanes remain stopped.

Several motorists told the BBC that high gusts were blowing snow back onto lanes that had just been ploughed by National Highways snow ploughs.

Other vehicles reportedly reported other drivers becoming frustrated and attempting to drive through the snow on the closed lanes.

One lane of the eastbound M62 was opened about 5 a.m., but cars are still delayed on the road.

According to the most recent National Highways bulletin, there are delays of "at least 3 hours" eastbound between J20 (Rochdale) and J24 (Huddersfield).

"There are at least 90-minute delays on the westbound lane between J24 and J22," the report claimed.

Emma Hamilton, 28, of Yorkshire, who works for the NHS, claimed she had been stranded for eight hours driving from Manchester.

"There are broken down lorries all over the road in all lanes," she remarked.

Drivers must figure out how to go around them. They were kind of bouncing and swirling around them.

"Several vehicles have stopped to assist other trucks as well... I'm trying to go home from yesterday night's Manchester United game. Yesterday's traffic was OK because there weren't as many cars on the road, and I left early enough to account for the weather.

"I'm just exhausted and frustrated with the government' lack of direction. We've all been left to our own devices. The gritter passed us once around 3 a.m., and they ploughed about three times then as well, but nothing since. They've been going up and down westbound a lot, and that side has been running smoothly.

"At this point, it truly feels never-ending."

As temperatures continue to plunge due to the Arctic blast, snow and ice have swept throughout the UK, prompting the Met Office to issue weather warnings across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office predicts "severe disruption" in portions of north Wales and northern England spanning from Stoke to Durham.