Met Office Issues Yellow Ice Warning Amid Arctic Blast
The Met Office has issued a significant yellow warning for ice across multiple regions of the United Kingdom as a severe Arctic blast sweeps the country, causing temperatures to tumble dramatically. This alert comes after a period of relatively mild and wet weather earlier in February, with the cold snap expected to persist over the coming days.
Warning Details and Affected Areas
The ice warning is active from 8pm tonight until 10am tomorrow, specifically targeting the north east of Scotland. According to the Met Office, the risk arises from rain and hill snow on Sunday afternoon, followed by clearing skies and sub-zero temperatures overnight. This combination is likely to lead to ice forming on untreated surfaces, posing hazards for travel and pedestrians.
Regions under the ice warning include:
- Central, Tayside & Fife: Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling
- Grampian: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray
- Highlands & Eilean Siar: Highland
- North East England: Northumberland
- SW Scotland, Lothian Borders: East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian
- Strathclyde: North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire
Temperature Forecast and Impacts
Maps from WXCharts indicate that temperatures are set to drop to as low as -4°C in central Scotland overnight into Monday. For much of the rest of the country, temperatures will hover around 0°C, with the exception of the south coast where warmer areas may reach up to 6°C. This sharp decline follows recent weeks of cooling trends, marking a continuation of wintry conditions.
The Met Office advises caution, stating: "Following a spell of rain and some hill snow during Sunday afternoon, temperatures will fall below freezing as skies clear from the west through the evening and overnight, leading to ice forming on untreated surfaces." Residents in the affected areas are urged to take necessary precautions, such as using gritted paths and driving carefully, to mitigate risks associated with the icy conditions.
