Amber warnings for snow with ‘hazardous’ travel conditions

Heavy snow is expected to hit parts of England and Wales this weekend, with the Met Office warning there could be considerable disruption in some areas.

The new, more severe warnings cover northern England, the Midlands and much of Wales, and are in place from Saturday evening and throughout Sunday.

Temperatures fell as low as -8.1C (17F) early on Friday and the bitter conditions created by an Arctic wind are expected to continue into next week.

Flurries of snow and freezing rain could result in power cuts, travel disruption and some rural communities being cut off in the coming days, the Met Office warned.

The weather warnings include:

• A yellow warning for ice covering nearly all of Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, north-west England, East Midlands, parts of North Wales and northern areas of Northern Ireland from 16:00 GMT on Friday until 10:00 GMT on Saturday

• An amber warning for snow and ice for parts of north-west and central England and most of Wales from 18:00 GMT on Saturday until noon on Sunday, likely bringing “hazardous travel conditions”

• An amber warning for snow covering northern England from 21:00 GMT on Saturday until midnight on Sunday

• A yellow warning for snow covering most of Scotland, except the far north, from midnight on Sunday until 12:00 GMT on Monday

The cold weather comes as NHS chiefs warn the number of people with flu in hospital in England rose sharply over Christmas.

The latest data shows there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week – almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said the low temperatures brought by the “extreme cold snap” can be dangerous for people who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast “it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on”, in response to questions about the decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners after charity Age UK said the weather would bring the policy “into sharp relief”.

Benson in Oxfordshire recorded the UK’s lowest temperature of -8.1C on Friday morning, after southern England experienced its coldest night of the winter.

Elsewhere in England, temperatures dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.7C at Bournemouth Airport.

In Scotland, the lowest temperature was -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, while in Wales, it was -5.1C in Usk, and Northern Ireland recorded -5.7C in Katesbridge.

Police are investigating whether a crash on Thursday night on the A1 near Grantham that led to the death of a seven-month-old boy is linked to icy weather conditions.

Meanwhile, as temperatures plummeted, three hillwalkers needed to be rescued overnight in the Cairngorms in Scotland after they got into difficulty in the wind and snow.

BBC Weather forecasts that 20-40cm of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday, which could cause “significant disruption”.

Temperatures in towns and cities across the UK were expected to fall below freezing overnight on Friday into Saturday morning, with significantly colder conditions in rural areas. There could be some freezing fog patches in the Midlands and East Anglia.

Saturday will be largely dry but cold, with maximum temperatures barely above freezing for many. Later in the day, rain will spread in across southern England and Wales, moving north-east.

This rain will temporarily turn to snow in southern areas and possibly give a small covering in places, especially over high ground. But ultimately, with milder air coming in, it will turn quickly back to rain.

In the area covered by the first amber warning, there will be a more sustained period of snow and freezing rain for Wales and the Midlands.

While there is some uncertainty, 3-7cm of snow is likely, with 15-30cm for the higher ground of Wales and southern Pennines.

In the area of northern England covered by the second amber warning, there will widely be 3-7cm of snow, with 15-40cm over high ground before it begins to ease and clear by the end of Sunday.

Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to be milder in parts of the country, reaching 13C in London in contrast to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.

Amber cold weather health alerts warning of a risk of a rise in deaths are also in place for the whole of England, with one local NHS service urging people to avoid going out early in the morning when the frost is thick.

The amber cold health alerts cover the whole of England but are not in place for the rest of the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues the alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people’s wellbeing, in particular those who are elderly or have health conditions.

The alerts provide early warning to healthcare providers, and suggest actions such as actively monitoring individuals at high risk, and checking that people most vulnerable to cold-related illnesses have visitor or phone call arrangements in place.

Age UK’s director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments “into sharp relief”, and added the charity had already been contacted by people “worrying about what to do”.

She urged older people “to do everything they can to stay warm” including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams added energy companies had “an obligation to help” those struggling and there may be support from local councils too.

When asked about the cold weather, Streeting pointed out Chancellor Rachel Reeves had retained the winter fuel allowance for the “poorest pensioners” – those in receipt of pension credit. The cut aims to save £1.5bn a year.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said some postcodes would receive cold weather payments, which entitles some households in areas with sustained temperatures below 0C to a £25 payment.

This included some postcodes in Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Redesdale in Northumberland, and Shap in Cumbria.

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