The UK has experienced its first significant winter blast, with blizzards, ice, and freezing temperatures causing widespread disruption. Hundreds of schools closed, roads were blocked, and the Met Office issued multiple warnings, including a rare amber alert for parts of Yorkshire.
The amber warning, in effect from 3am to 9pm on Thursday, covered the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds. It warned of occasional blizzards and up to 25cm of snow on hills, likely to cause substantial disruption. Eight yellow warnings were also in place across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
In Scotland, Aberdeenshire was the worst-hit region, with over 90 schools closed. In Wales, 36 schools shut in Pembrokeshire, 14 in Carmarthenshire, and seven in Ceredigion. About 30 schools in North Yorkshire, eight in East Yorkshire, and a handful in Northumberland also closed due to the weather.
Road closures included the northbound A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick for over two hours, the A171, and the A169 from Pickering to Whitby. Drivers in North Yorkshire and Pembrokeshire were advised to make only essential journeys, with conditions described as extremely hazardous.
The Met Office reported the coldest night of the season so far, with temperatures dropping to -6.6C in Oxfordshire and -6.4C in Powys. In rural Scotland, temperatures could fall as low as -10C on Thursday night. The UK Health Security Agency's amber cold health alert remains in force across northern England until Saturday morning.
Despite the disruption, some embraced the snow for photography, sledging, and building snowmen. Bookmakers William Hill shortened odds for a White Christmas, offering 6/5 in Aberdeen, 7/4 in Newcastle, and 7/1 in London.
