The Met Office has issued a stark amber weather warning for snow and ice, triggering significant travel disruption across large parts of the United Kingdom. The alert, which is in force for parts of North East England, warns of frequent wintry showers leading to substantial snow accumulations.
Widespread Travel Disruption Expected
The national meteorological service has stated that the public should brace for travel delays on roads, with the potential for cancellations to bus and train services. The warning, active from the early hours of Thursday, 20 November, until Thursday evening, also indicates that power cuts are likely. Drivers are being urged to stick to main roads, exercise extreme caution, and only undertake journeys if absolutely necessary.
Echoing this sentiment, National Rail has warned that poor weather conditions could impact rail journeys across England, Wales, and Scotland until the end of Thursday. All passengers are strongly advised to check their entire journey before setting off and to allow considerable extra time for travel.
UK-Wide Weather Warnings and Health Alerts
The severe conditions are not confined to the North East. Broader yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place today across much of the UK, including Wales, the South West, the Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and most of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Adding to the concerns, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its own amber and yellow cold health alerts. Amber cold health warnings are active across the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Overnight, temperatures plummeted across the country, with the Met Office highlighting a "relentless wind" and further wintry showers expected along coastlines throughout Wednesday.
On-the-Ground Impact and Forecast
The adverse weather is already being felt. Snow has fallen across parts of Yorkshire and the Scottish Highlands, where snow ploughs have been deployed to clear key routes like the A82 and A9. Gritting teams have been working overnight to pre-treat and patrol roads nationwide. Ferry services have also been hit, with Calmac reporting cancellations and delays on routes along Scotland's west coast and Western Isles.
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Neil Armstrong, provided a sobering outlook: "Temperatures are well below average for the time of year and could get as low as -11C in rural parts of Scotland on Thursday night, with daytime temperatures generally in low single figures for many. With clear skies, overnight ice could create some particularly tricky travel conditions."
The forecast suggests conditions will begin to improve by Friday, with drier weather for many and temperatures gradually turning milder, although rain is expected to reach western areas later in the day.
