Snow expected across much of UK with new warnings issued
The yellow weather warning is in place between midnight and noon on Friday.
Snow is expected across much of the UK in a chilly start to the new year, forecasters have said.
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.
It could see some areas blanketed in snow up to 5cm deep, especially on higher ground in parts of North Wales and north-west England.
Separate yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10am on Friday, and in northern Scotland between 6am on New Year’s Day and the end of Friday.
The chilly conditions are expect to have an impact on transport, with people urged to prepare for longer journey times by road, bus and train services.
The Met Office has also warned of injuries due to slips and falls on icy surfaces, which will develop quickly as sleet and snow clears.
The new snow and ice warning is in place for a large swathe of England and Wales, including Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent.
It affects the East Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, the North West, South West, Wales and the West Midlands.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: “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.
It had previously issued amber cold health alerts in the North East and North West of England.
However, yellow alerts have 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 place from 8pm on December 31 until 10am on January 6.
The UKHSA said it 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.
“Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions.
“Exposure to cold can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.
“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, the temperature is expected to plummet in northern England, north Wales and Scotland.
There will also be frequent, and at times heavy, snow showers across northern Scotland and potentially in the north east of England.
However, fine and bright conditions are expected across much of the UK before the weather warning comes into force on Friday.
