MOTORISTS are being warned to take extra care on Dorset’s roads this morning due to icy conditions.

A gritter lorry overturned on the B3351 Studland Road near to Purbeck Golf Course early this morning, shedding its load across the carriageway.

The road was closed both ways while the grit was cleaned up but other roads in the area may be ungritted because of this incident.

A car overturned in Little Lonnen Road, near Wimborne - and then the recovery vehicle sent to rescue it also got stuck and had to be rescued. Residents said the area was very icy, especially in the recently resurfaced Sandy Lane.

The top level of the Castlepoint car park was closed because of black ice until 9.15 am.

Ling Road in Poole was closed southbound due to ice. Echo readers are reporting that roads in Parkstone and Poole are especially icy, with footpaths in Parkstone described as an "ice rink".  Some are said to be unusable with pedestrians walking in the road for "safety".

Where's been been gritted, weather warnings and latest news in our weather section

Dorset Police say they have already had a number of phone calls regarding the state of the roads due to the heavy overnight frost and say conditions are “treacherous” in some areas.

They are advising motorists to leave ample time to get to their destinations and to make sure windows on vehicles are clear before setting off.

Rural parts of Dorset are particularly bad, thanks to freezing rain which fell after the first round of gritting last night.

Gritting lorries did their first round at 2pm yesterday. The Met Office weather warning for ice and freezing rain - a very rare phenomenon which sees rain or snow "supercooled" as it falls so that it freezes on contact with the ground - was not issued until 10.30pm and county council gritters were out continuously from 12.30am. 

 

Bmth's main network of roads have been gritted this morning, but please do take extreme care on footpaths and side roads.

— Bournemouth Council (@bournemouthbc) December 12, 2012

What is freezing rain?

Gritters were sent out again in Bournemouth and Dorset around 9.30am as ice was still causing a problem across the county.

Simon Legg, streetscene manager, Borough of Poole, said: “Our gritters were out from 7pm on Tuesday evening and this year we have treated more roads than in previous years."

“The moisture in the air combined with the cold temperatures last night has led to icy conditions on the roads but we are prioritising gritting requests during the day and will be gritting roads again this evening if the weather conditions don’t improve.”

Let us know what it's like where you are in the comments, or by emailing sam.shepherd@bournemouthecho.co.uk.