UK snow and ice warnings extended by Met Office across swathes of UK
Much of the UK has been blanketed in snow as the Met Office issued a series of yellow weather warnings.
The Met Office has issued several weather warning for snow, ice and rain in the coming days, after temperatures across the country plummeted to as low as -11C.
Large parts of the UK have been hit by snow this week as the country experienced what the Met Office called its "first taste of winter".
Weather warnings for snow and ice are currently in place across the UK, with some issued on Tuesday expiring on Wednesday morning. The Met Office issued a fresh warning for snow and ice in northern Scotland on Wednesday, that is in place until Thursday.
The lowest temperature recorded this week so far was on Monday night when the mercury fell to -11.2C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, while 12cm of lying snow was reported at Watnall, Nottinghamshire.
Motorists have been told to be wary of the icy conditions and that train services could be impacted.
It's a cold start to Wednesday morning with widespread frost across the country 🥶
Wintry showers continue to affect northern Scotland and coastal regions through the morning, but expect plenty of sunshine further inland ☀️
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/7oQmffo92l— Met Office (@metoffice) November 20, 2024
Weather warnings
The Met Office issued seven yellow warnings for snow and ice in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.
A yellow warning for ice was issued on Tuesday afternoon covering much of the south of England and lasting until 10am on Wednesday, with hazardous icy patches expected to form through the evening and night.
Another is in place for the east coast of England until midday on Wednesday, including Yorkshire, the North East and the East Midlands.
A yellow warning for ice covering northern Wales, parts of north-nest England and Northern Ireland is in place until 10am on Thursday.
A further yellow warning for snow and ice in place for northern Scotland for the whole of Wednesday, lasting until 12pm on Thursday, while parts of eastern and north-east England have also been issued a yellow warning for ice that remains in place until 10am on Thursday.
A yellow warning for snow has been issued for large parts of south west England from 5am until 3pm on Thursday.
Looking further ahead, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain and snow for almost the whole of Scotland, as well as large parts of northern England from 4am on Saturday to 9am on Sunday.
From 6am on Saturday to 6am on Sunday, a yellow warning for rain is in place for nearly the whole of Wales, while a separate yellow warning for rain is in place for large parts of the south west for the same period.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Rain, snow and ice continue to be potential hazards through this week as an Arctic airmass continues to influence the UK’s weather, bringing potential ongoing disruption for some.
“A number of weather warnings for snow and ice are currently in place, and more are expected today. We are keeping an eye on a more organised band of rain and hill snow affecting the south-west through tomorrow as a larger system runs into the continent.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.
The warnings come as a Met Office map shows a 135-mile band of snow over the UK later this week.
Travel disruption
A sharp rise in vehicle breakdowns has been reported as yellow snow and ice warnings continue in parts of the UK. Many drivers’ batteries failed on Wednesday morning due to cold weather, the RAC said.
Southern Rail said overrunning engineering works at South Croydon will affect early morning trains between East Croydon and Uckfield/East Grinstead on Wednesday.
Police in Northern Ireland urged those on the roads to “drive with extra caution while we experience the freezing temperatures as forecast”.
National Highways had issued an amber severe snow alert for roads across the North East and North West, but this has since been removed as it says snow is clearing across those regions.
Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption on Tuesday morning and a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire toppled onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions.
There was also frustration for thousands of commuters on the railway network. By 11am on Tuesday, some 64 out of a total of 120 services (53%) planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hour, according to the trains.im punctuality and reliability website.
Figures for other operators include London North Eastern Railway (37%), Transport for Wales (13%), West Midlands Trains (13%) and CrossCountry (12%).
School closures
The snow has seen more school closures on Wednesday, with Metro reporting at least 41 telling pupils to stay at home.
More than 200 schools were closed on Tuesday, the BBC reported. It said 141 schools in Wales had closed, with the areas of Wrexham, Powys and Flintshire particularly affected.
About 12 schools were forced to close in Worcestershire, and 19 in Derbyshire, according to their respective county councils. More than 50 schools were closed in the West Midlands.
You can check if your child's school is closed on the government's website here.
What is the forecast for the rest of this week?
The Met Office said snow showers will continue into Wednesday morning. The showers may be heavy at times and accompanied by lightning in some areas.
Some lying snow could reach up to 10cm or more over higher ground and ice is expected to form on untreated surfaces.
Wednesday will be another cold day with wintry showers in the north, but bright elsewhere with a sunny spell, the Met Office said.
It forecast that it will remain cold between Thursday and Saturday in the north, with wintry showers on Thursday and Friday, with Saturday turning wet and windy.
The Met Office said cold northerly winds will continue through the week across much of the UK, with further warnings likely.
However, it added that temperatures were likely to increase from the south-west this weekend, though this will be accompanied by some strong winds and heavy rain.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “A deep area of low pressure looks likely to influence the UK’s weather this weekend. While this will bring in milder air to most parts, it also brings with it some heavy rain and strong winds at times. It’s too early for precise detail, but there’s a potential for further warnings.”
