Met Office extends 15cm snow warning to 32 areas as Storm Pedro ravages Britain
The Met Office has extended a yellow blizzard warning for 32 areas of the UK. There are fears some areas could have roads and railways shut down under a 15cm blanket of snow
Warnings are in place(Image: Getty Images)
The Met Office has expanded a yellow snow warning as 32 regions prepare for several inches of snow, posing threats to roads, railway services and power supplies. This follows the official naming of Storm Pedro, which is predicted to pummel Britain with wintry downpours and torrential rain today and tomorrow.
As much as 15cm of snow could smother one area today, bringing severe conditions into Thursday morning. Roads could become perilous, potentially leaving some vehicles “stranded,” whilst railway and air travel may experience delays and cancellations, the forecaster cautioned.
Rural communities could also find themselves isolated, with the possibility of power cuts and disruptions to mobile phone coverage. The expanded warning indicates that parts of Wales, central England and the southern Pennines will bear the brunt of snow from 4pm this evening until 6am tomorrow.
Icy patches will also form across Wales and parts of the West Midlands during this period, creating a risk of injuries from slips and falls.
Up to 10-15cm of snow could blanket higher ground in mid and southeast Wales, along with Herefordshire, Shropshire and the southern Pennines. “Some small accumulations of snow, typically less than 2cm, are possible to lower elevations,” particularly from Wednesday evening into the early hours of Thursday, the warning states, reports the Mirror.
Around 2-5 cm of snow “could accumulate quite widely above 150-200 metres”. Motorists are being cautioned to plan their journeys ahead of time, checking for potential delays and road closures as these could result in “some stranded vehicles and passengers”.
The Met Office advised: “Make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays,” including warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch and an ice scraper. In case of a power outage, those in the affected areas should consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
Storm Pedro is predicted to deliver 10-20mm of rain widely across the UK, with regions near the south coast potentially receiving up to 30mm. Dartmoor, Devon, will face the worst of the wet weather as up to 50mm could lash the area, the Met Office warned.
Northern Ireland will experience bouts of rain, hill snow and strong gusts of up to 55mph during this period.
A separate yellow ice warning in Wales and parts of the West Midlands is effective from 9pm this evening until 10am tomorrow. Brits in the affected areas have been advised to depart at least five minutes earlier than usual.
“Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls,” the forecaster stated.
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