The United Kingdom is shivering through its first significant cold snap of the winter, with the Met Office forecasting a week of markedly colder conditions and disruptive wintry showers.
Widespread Weather Warnings Issued
The national forecaster has activated multiple yellow weather warnings for snow and ice, primarily targeting parts of Scotland and northern England from Monday through to Thursday. Five separate warnings were in effect on Tuesday, with two expected to remain active in northern Scotland and along the east coast on Thursday.
This bout of freezing weather has also prompted a health response. The UK Health Security Agency has implemented cold weather health alerts, which came into force on Monday. An amber alert is active for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber, while a yellow alert covers the rest of England until 8am on Saturday.
A Deep Dive into the Forecast
According to Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill, the cold air mass will lead to a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. Icy patches are expected to develop widely, creating potentially difficult and slippery conditions for travellers and pedestrians.
Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree identified Wednesday to Friday as the coldest period, with the greatest potential for impactful weather. He warned that overnight temperatures could plummet to a biting minus ten degrees Celsius, with a significant wind chill from strong northerly winds making it feel even colder.
Expected Snowfall Accumulations
Wintry showers are forecast to extend southwards through Wednesday and into Thursday, mainly affecting north-facing coastal areas. Mr. Crabtree provided specific accumulation estimates, stating that some low-lying areas in the north and east could see 2-5cm of snow.
More significant accumulations are predicted for higher ground. Hills in parts of Northern Ireland, northeast England, and Scotland could be blanketed by 5-10 cm of snowfall.
The forecaster emphasised that updates to the current warnings are possible and urged the public to keep up to date with the latest forecast as this first cold snap of the year takes hold.
