Met Office issues huge new 530-mile snow warning as new big freeze to hit UK

The Met Office has issued a fresh yellow weather warning for Brits with a huge 530-mile snow alert.

The UK is currently enduring a bitterly cold spell following a mild start to November due to polar air moving southwards and it is going to carry on into the weekend.

Sub-zero temperatures have been seen in much of the UK this week, reaching as low as -11.2°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire while there has also been plenty of snowfall with flurries 12cm deep reported at Watnall, Nottinghamshire.

And there are yellow warnings from the Met Office for further snow and wintry conditions until Sunday. A new weather warning has been put in place today for snow and ice and so there are now alerts which cover nearly the full length of the country.

The alert runs from 12pm today until 10am on Saturday and it highlights difficult travel conditions. “Wintry showers and icy patches are expected this evening and overnight, perhaps leading to some travel disruption,” states the Met Office. It adds that people should expect longer journey times and there could be ice on untreated roads while there may well be injuries from slips and falls.

And a forecast from national agency for today reads: “Wintry showers are expected to gradually move south this afternoon, then feeding inland from Irish Sea and North Sea coasts at times this evening and overnight, especially through the Cheshire Gap to affect parts of the Midlands and north Wales.

“Where these occur 2-5cm of fresh snow is possible, with this most likely on ground above 100m. Icy stretches are expected to form on untreated surfaces during Thursday evening and overnight into Friday morning as temperatures drop below freezing, especially following any showers.”

Regions affected by new yellow warning
Central, Tayside & Fife
Angus
Clackmannanshire
Dundee
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling
East Midlands
Derby
Derbyshire
Leicester
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
Rutland
East of England
Cambridgeshire
Peterborough
Grampian
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean Siar
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Highland
North East England
Durham
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland
North West England
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Halton
Lancashire
Merseyside
Warrington
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Midlothian Council
Scottish Borders
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
Wales
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey
Pembrokeshire
Powys
Wrexham
West Midlands
Herefordshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Telford and Wrekin
Warwickshire
West Midlands Conurbation
Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
East Riding of Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire

The Met Office has also issued advice for people in the areas under the yellow warnings for ice and snow. It states: “Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).

“Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal to reduce your risk of accidents, slips, and falls. If making a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.

“Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.

Today's news

Met Office issues huge new 530-mile snow warning as new big freeze to hit UK

Have you read them?

News Feed