The UK is braced for a severe bout of wintry weather, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning for blizzards in the North East and multiple yellow alerts across the country. This comes as temperatures plummet, transforming untreated roads and pavements into hazardous sheets of ice.
Widespread Disruption and Travel Chaos
An amber snow warning is in effect for the North East, stretching from Scarborough to Whitby and inland towards Thirsk, until 9pm on Thursday. The Met Office has warned that frequent wintry showers blowing in from the North Sea could cause serious disruption to road and public transport networks. Police were forced to close the A169 between Whitby and Pickering on Wednesday night due to vehicles becoming stuck in the snow.
Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler highlighted the immediate danger for commuters, stating that falling temperatures overnight could create instant ice rinks on untreated surfaces. The AA has urged drivers to plan ahead, stick to main routes, and leave a much greater distance from other vehicles, as stopping distances can increase tenfold in these conditions.
Snow Accumulation and Further Warnings
Significant snow accumulation is expected in specific areas. The North Yorkshire Moors and parts of the Yorkshire Wolds could see between 15-25cm of snow by the end of Thursday. Furthermore, strong gusts are predicted to whip up blizzard conditions, with a chance of isolated lightning strikes.
Beyond the amber alert, six separate yellow warnings for snow and ice are active across the UK:
- East Anglia and Lincolnshire (until 11am)
- Devon, Cornwall, and parts of South Wales (until midnight)
- Northern Ireland (until noon)
- Northern Scotland (until 9pm)
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst confirmed that large areas would wake up to a fresh layer of snow, with the highest totals across the Sperrins, North Yorkshire Moors, Northwest Highlands, Grampians, and upland Pembrokeshire.
Health Risks and a Chilly Outlook
The cold spell brings significant health risks. The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber and yellow cold weather alerts for much of the country, warning of potential significant impacts on health and social care services and a potential rise in deaths among the over-65s and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Temperatures are forecast to plunge dramatically, with rural areas of the North expected to experience lows of -6C (21.2F) overnight. Parts of Scotland could see the mercury drop to a bone-chilling -12C (10.4F) on Friday. The Met Office also warns that rural communities face the risk of becoming cut off due to blocked roads, with power cuts also a possibility.
Some respite is forecast for the weekend, as wetter and windier conditions are expected to push temperatures closer to the seasonal average.
