Met Office’s new 12-hour snow warnings for 3 areas as temperature drops to -16C
The Met Office has issued fresh warnings for snow and ice as temperatures are set to plummet to -16C in parts of the UK, with the cold weather expected to continue for the next few weeks
The Met Office has released a fresh 12-hour snow alert on three UK regions as some areas are tipped to plummet to -16C. A yellow warning for snow and ice is hanging over northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday, while Northern Ireland is also on alert for snow and ice until 11am on the same day, with sleet and snow showers also expected to come.
Adding to this, Northern Ireland has been given a yellow fog warning effective until 9am on Thursday. Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, cautioned: “With low temperatures persisting across southwestern parts of England, sleet or snow will fall to low levels in parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset through Wednesday afternoon and evening.”
He added: “At locations above 150 m, 2-5 cm is possible, but over the higher ground of Dartmoor and Exmoor up to 10 cm could accumulate.” Willington also warned that “More widely across southern England, a dusting of snow, up to a couple of centimetres, is possible as the system moves eastwards.”, reports the Express.
Willington noted “The snow could cause some disruption to the transport network during this evening’s rush hour.” The experts predict the chilly northern air will keep the freeze going into Thursday and Friday, with more snow and ice warnings likely to pop up as forecasters get a clearer picture of the most affected areas.
Throughout the weekend, fronts sweeping in from the southwest on Friday and Saturday could bring more sleet and snow, with the chance of additional warnings being issued. Deputy Chief Forecaster Christoph Almond has warned: “Thursday will see another cold night, with potentially the lowest temperatures of the Winter so far, -15C – possibly -16C is likely in locations with lying snow in Scotland or northern England.”
He also added: “In the early hours of Friday, a front arriving from the west will encounter the cold air in place over the UK. This could bring further sleet or snowfall for some regions in the south and west, as well as a risk of ice for a time as it moves north-eastwards into central parts, but the extent of this is still uncertain.
“By Sunday, milder air will have moved in across much of the UK, meaning rain is more likely than snow as we get to the end of the weekend. Northern Ireland and Western Scotland are most likely to see some showery outbreaks of rain and breezy conditions through Sunday and Monday, with conditions further south and east drier and more settled, but with some overnight fog and frost.”
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