M6 Weather News
Why we show the weather. We publish official weather warnings and forecasts from the Met Office beside our M6 traffic news. People come to us to check the road before they set off, and the weather can change that journey as much as an accident can. Wet roads mean it takes at least twice as far to stop. Ice, fog, strong wind and heavy spray all leave less room for mistakes. Our aim is simple: to help everyone who uses the M6 stay safe and decide how, and when, to make their journey.
Alongside the weather we show live accidents, closures and roadworks, and our M6 trends pages show how busy the M6 is from day to day and hour to hour. Together they give you the whole picture before you set off.
Weather along the M6. The M6 is Britain's longest motorway. It starts near Rugby, where it leaves the M1, and runs up the west side of England past Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle, to the Scottish border. Our M6 weather page follows the Met Office warnings for the West Midlands, the North West and Cumbria. The weather at one end of the M6 can be very different from the other.
North of Lancaster the M6 climbs over Shap, its highest point, through open fell country where wind, snow and ice arrive first. Further south, the Thelwall Viaduct near Warrington carries the M6 high over the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey.
Wind on Wide Motorways
Much of the M6 is now three or four lanes wide, and long stretches have become smart motorways. That's a lot of open tarmac, with the barriers and verges that would normally break up the wind set further apart. On a windy day gusts can sweep across the carriageway with little to stop them. Take extra care if you're driving a high-sided vehicle, towing a caravan or riding a motorbike, and give them room if you're passing.