The United Kingdom is experiencing its first major winter blast, with snow, blizzards, ice, and freezing temperatures causing widespread disruption. The Met Office has issued eight yellow weather warnings for snow and ice across various regions, including Devon and Cornwall, Kent, East Anglia, north-east England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and northern Scotland. A rare amber warning is in place for the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds from 3am to 9pm on Thursday, forecasting up to 25cm of snow on hills and potential blizzards.
The severe weather has led to hundreds of school closures, treacherous road conditions, and power cuts. In Scotland, Aberdeenshire was the worst affected, with over 90 schools shut. In Wales, 36 schools closed in Pembrokeshire, 14 in Carmarthenshire, and seven in Ceredigion. Northern England also saw significant closures, including about 30 schools in North Yorkshire and eight in East Yorkshire. Major roads such as the A1 near Morpeth and the A171 were closed, with police advising against travel to several towns.
Drivers have been urged to exercise caution. Shaun Jones, an AA expert patrol, warned that stopping distances can increase tenfold on icy surfaces, emphasising the need for slower speeds and greater spacing. The Met Office reported the coldest night of the season so far, with temperatures dropping to -6.6C in Oxfordshire, -6.4C in Powys, and -2.8C in County Antrim. Thursday night could see lows of -10C in rural Scotland.
Unusual phenomena such as 'thundersnow' were observed in Aberdeenshire and off the north-east coast, with a risk of more on Thursday. The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber cold health alert for northern England until Saturday morning. However, temperatures are expected to rise towards seasonal averages over the weekend, though wetter and windier conditions will replace the snow. The wintry weather has also prompted bookmakers to shorten odds on a White Christmas in parts of the UK.
