The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice across large parts of England and Wales between midnight and noon on January 2, with separate warnings in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Snow is set to blanket much of the UK as the new year kicks off with a bitter chill, weather experts have warned. The Met Office has put a yellow alert in place for snow and ice across vast swathes of England and Wales from midnight until midday on January 2.
Some regions could see snow accumulating up to 5cm thick, particularly across elevated areas in North Wales and north-west England.
Additional yellow warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland from midnight until 10am on Friday, whilst northern Scotland faces alerts from 6am on New Year’s Day through to the end of Friday.
The freezing conditions are anticipated to wreak havoc on transport networks, with travellers advised to brace for extended journey times on roads, buses and trains.
The Met Office has also cautioned about potential injuries from slips and tumbles on treacherous icy patches, which will form rapidly as sleet and snow moves through.
The fresh snow and ice alert covers a massive stretch of England and Wales, spanning from Chester and Greater Manchester all the way down to London and Kent.
The warning encompasses the East Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, the North West, South West, Wales and the West Midlands.
A Met Office spokesperson explained: “This warning highlights the risk of disruptive snow showers and icy surfaces, particularly in northern and eastern areas, with impacts on travel and potential hazards for the public.
“We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued more severe warnings for the start of the year. Previously, amber cold health alerts were issued for the North East and North West of England.
However, yellow alerts have now been upgraded to amber across the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
These warnings will be in effect from 8pm on December 31 until 10am on January 6.
According to the UKHSA, this means the weather is “likely” to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.
Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in health protection at UKHSA, said: “The weather is forecast to be very cold across England over the coming few days.”
He added: “Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions.”
Dr Coleman warned: “Exposure to cold can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.”
He urged: “It is therefore really important, as the colder weather sets in, to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.”
On Thursday, temperatures are expected to plummet in northern England, north Wales and Scotland.
Frequent and occasionally heavy snow showers are expected across northern Scotland and potentially in the north east of England.
However, much of the UK can anticipate fine and bright conditions before the weather warning takes effect on Friday.