Even snow clouds have a silver lining as a mine near Carrickfergus is producing 4,000 tonnes a day to keep NI roads moving during the prolonged cold spell.

The Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Company Ltd, based at Fort Road, Kilroot, is currently working extended shifts seven days a week to keep up with demand across Northern Ireland and international markets.

A Roads Service spokeswoman told the Belfast News Letter last night that the Carrickfergus mine was its sole supplier of road salt and "an invaluable asset" that it makes it easier to cope with surges in demand due to extreme weather events.


Elsewhere, the Irish Republic is having to import white salt from as far away as Spain for its roads to cope with weather conditions there.

The salting success story comes as temperatures plummeted overnight to new levels of chill, as NI travellers continued to suffer disruption today in what has been described as the worst winter in a century continues to bite.

The runway at City of Derry Airport was again closed because of snow and two morning flights - to and from Dublin - have been cancelled.

The airport advised other passengers to check in as normal and to allow extra time for their journey due to the road conditions.

At George Best Belfast City Airport, an early arrival from Manchester has been indefinitely delayed and at Belfast International Airport, the Easyjet flight from Liverpool has been delayed until near noon.

As road conditions remained difficult across NI, a number of schools are closed today due to ongoing problems with bad weather affecting transportation and heating.

(BMcC/GK)