Home » Weather warning update after Met Office extends snow and ice forecast

Weather warning update after Met Office extends snow and ice forecast

Weather warning update after Met Office extends snow and ice forecast

The UK has gotten its first snow this autumn (Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

The UK is waking up to more snow and ice after the Met Office extended its yellow weather warning.

The forecaster issued an updated warning across parts of northern England, Wales and the Midlands.

Rain, sleet and snow is expected in the areas until 11am on Tuesday. Up to 20cm of snow could land on higher ground and rail, air and road travel faces disruption.

National Rail said cold weather over the next few days could affect trains across the country and urged anyone planning to travel to check their journey before heading off.

It comes after the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in northern Scotland from 4pm on Sunday until 10am on Wednesday.

In Northern Ireland, the forecaster issued a warning for snow and ice in place from 3pm on Monday until 10am on Tuesday.

Snow begins to fall in Liverpool.
First snow begins to fall in Liverpool (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

National Rail said speed restrictions to allow trains to run safely could be in place, making journeys longer.

There are also risks of cancellations, if, for example, snow is built up on tracks or ice covers overhead cables.

Meanwhile, Traffic Scotland warned drivers to be careful. Posting on X it said: ‘Heading on the motorway in snowy conditions? Stay in the clearest lane where possible, away from snow and keep within clear tyre tracks if you can.’

A train in Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire Dales with snow on the background.
A train crossed the Ribblehead Viaduct with the snow capped mountain of Ingleborough behind in the Yorkshire Dales on Monday (Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

And National Highways North-East posted: ‘Brrrrrrrrr…temperatures are expected to drop over the next few days. It maybe icy with snowfall. Take care and drive to the road conditions, especially near our gritters.’

On Sunday night the lowest temperature was recorded at RNAS Yeovilton, in Somerset, which was -0.9°C, while USK in Wales recorded the highest temperature of 14.1°C.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: ‘You’ll notice a change in the temperature. It’s going to start to feel much colder as these winds arrive from the north-northwest.

‘They’ll also carry frequent showers, which will be falling as sleet and snow over northern Scotland, particularly for Shetland, where there could be some settling of the wet snow above a couple of hundred metres.

‘Meanwhile, it stays relatively mild further south, albeit very cloudy and some outbreaks of rain sinking into southern parts.’

The UK Health Security Agency issued a separate cold weather warning for low temperatures as they could be life-threatening for vulnerable people.

The plummeting temperatures could impact health and social care services as there could be more demand than usual.

When will snow fall?

Met Office’s yellow warnings are in place in the UK until Wednesday.

Weather map showing Met Office snow and ice warning.
There are three yellow snow and ice warnings in place today (Picture: Metro Graphics)

Road and rail journeys could take longer due to slippery surfaces and ice patches.

Dan Suri is chief meteorologist at the Met Office and said: ‘An area of low pressure slides its way eastwards on Monday night.

‘The associated frontal system, marking the boundary between cold air in the north and milder conditions to the south, will bring disruptive snow to some areas between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

‘This is likely to coincide with rush hour, leading to disruption to some transport routes across a central swathe of the UK on Tuesday morning. It will also be windy in the far south.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock (14914787m) Walkers on Wimbledon common, south west London on a cold morning . The Met Office has snow and ice warnings in some parts of the UK from Sunday Seasonal Weather, Wimbledon Common, London, United Kingdom - 16 Nov 2024
People are wrapping up warm to brace the cold (Picture: Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock)

‘Updates to the warnings throughout the week are likely, so it is important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.’

Met Office said: ‘The most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10 cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20 cm above 300 metres.

‘Some snow will settle to lower levels, where 5 to 10 cm would prove much more disruptive – this remains uncertain, but seems most likely across parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

‘As rain, sleet and snow clear on Tuesday morning, icy stretches are are likely to form on untreated surfaces.’

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock (14914787l) Walkers on Wimbledon common, south west London on a cold morning . The Met Office has snow and ice warnings in some parts of the UK from Sunday Seasonal Weather, Wimbledon Common, London, United Kingdom - 16 Nov 2024
Scotland and the North East saw snow already over the weekend before other parts of UK (Picture: Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock)

Where will snow fall?

This Met Office compiled a list of areas affected by the yellow warnings.

England

Yellow warning in place until 11am on Tuesday.

East Midlands

  • Derby
  • Derbyshire
  • Leicester
  • Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Nottingham
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Rutland

North West England

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Cheshire East
  • Cheshire West and Chester
  • Greater Manchester
  • Halton
  • Lancashire
  • Merseyside
  • Warrington

Wales

  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire
  • Flintshire
  • Gwynedd
  • Powys
  • Wrexham

West Midlands

  • Herefordshire
  • Shropshire
  • Staffordshire
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Telford and Wrekin
  • Warwickshire
  • West Midlands Conurbation

Yorkshire & Humber

  • East Riding of Yorkshire
  • North East Lincolnshire
  • North Lincolnshire
  • North Yorkshire
  • South Yorkshire
  • West Yorkshire
  • York

Scotland

Yellow snow and ice warning active until 10am on Wednesday.

Central, Tayside & Fife

Grampian

  • Aberdeen
  • Aberdeenshire
  • Moray

Highlands & Eilean Siar

  • Na h-Eileanan Siar
  • Highland

Orkney & Shetland

  • Orkney Islands
  • Shetland Islands

Northern Ireland

Yellow warning in place until 10am on Tuesday.

  • County Antrim
  • County Armagh
  • County Down
  • County Fermanagh
  • County Londonderry
  • County Tyrone

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