Hundreds of schools closed and roads left treacherous as the UK experienced its first significant winter blast, with blizzards, ice, and freezing temperatures. The Met Office issued eight yellow snow and ice warnings for Thursday, covering areas including Devon, Cornwall, Kent, East Anglia, northeast England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and northern Scotland.
An amber alert was in place for the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds from 3am to 9pm, warning of blizzards and up to 25cm of snow on hills likely to cause substantial disruption. In Scotland, Aberdeenshire was worst hit with over 90 schools closed, while Wales saw 36 closures in Pembrokeshire, 14 in Carmarthenshire, and seven in Ceredigion.
Road closures included the A1 northbound near Morpeth and Alnwick, the A171, and the A169 Pickering to Whitby. Drivers were advised to make only essential journeys, with Pembrokeshire council warning of extremely hazardous conditions. AA expert Shaun Jones urged motorists to slow down, as stopping distances can increase tenfold on ice.
The Met Office reported the coldest night of the season, with temperatures dropping to -6.6C in Oxfordshire, -6.4C in Powys, and -2.8C in County Antrim. Thursday night could see -10C in rural Scotland. 'Thundersnow' was observed off the northeast coast, with a risk of more on Thursday.
An amber cold health alert from the UK Health Security Agency remains in force across northern England until Saturday. Temperatures are expected to rise towards the weekend, with wetter and windier weather, but not as mild as earlier this month.
