The UK is on ice alert as temperatures take a nosedive in hours. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, indicating potential travel difficulties, which covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and North Wales, extending down to the Midlands until 10am on Thursday.
A further snow and ice warning is in place for northern Scotland until 10am, with rain turning to snow likely causing travel disruption and hazardous driving conditions, according to the Met Office. Despite the wintry weather, those planning to travel have been urged by both the Met Office and National Rail to prepare ahead of their journey on Thursday.
Drivers should anticipate challenging conditions, especially in areas under a yellow weather warning, and are advised to allow extra time for potential delays or diversions. Public transport users are encouraged to check timetables and services before setting off due to possible delays or cancellations caused by the adverse weather.
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According to National Rail, the harsh weather will affect trains across Great Britain, impacting Northern services, TransPennine Express services, Transport for Wales services and ScotRail services. Two new flood alerts were issued just before 6am on Thursday, with river levels peaking for both the Lower River Wharfe system in Yorkshire and Lower River Ure waterway in North Yorkshire.
The UK is on high alert for potential flooding as water levels in the Wharfe and Ure river systems, including their tributaries, are expected to peak. The Lower River Ure system’s most vulnerable areas include low-lying land and local roads around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton, reports the Express.
Meanwhile, areas from Otley to upstream of Ulleskelf, including Tadcaster, are at risk within the Lower River Wharfe system. Despite no significant rainfall forecasted for Thursday, Brits are urged to steer clear of low-lying footpaths or bridges near local watercourses and not to attempt crossing flood waters.
This warning follows a major incident declaration in Greater Manchester on Wednesday due to flooding that led to home evacuations and closures of train lines and roads. Mountain rescue teams supported the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service with damaged properties and stranded vehicles.
Areas still under surveillance include Didsbury, Stockport, Trafford and Wigan. Approximately 450 people were evacuated from a Didsbury hotel on Wednesday evening, while 400 homes remain at lower risk with no widespread evacuation required.
Residents had to evacuate a block of flats in Meadow Mill, Stockport, due to severe weather conditions. The North West and Wales experienced heavy rainfall on Wednesday, with Marsden recording 101.2mm of rainfall, surpassing West Yorkshire’s January monthly average of 85.1mm.
Capel Curig in Wales also recorded 101.2mm of rainfall, which is less than a third of the monthly average of 327mm. Flooding caused disruptions to train services across the North West of England, including Northern services, TransPennine Express services, Transport for Wales services, and South Western Railway services.
A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office, indicating a risk of snow across parts of Scotland, England and Wales from Saturday 1200 – Monday 0900. National Highways reported that a section of the A628 Woodhead Pass between Woolley Bridge and Flouch was closed due to flooding, as was the westbound M56 between Junction 6 for Manchester Airport and Junction 8 for Bowdon.
In Bristol, the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol has been activated by Bristol City Council and homeless charity St Mungo’s until January 8, increasing outreach shifts and making more accommodation available to ensure no one has to sleep on the streets during such extreme weather conditions. Temperatures were predicted to drop on Wednesday evening, potentially reaching minus 7C or minus 8C in Scotland overnight.
The Met Office forecasted maximum temperatures on Thursday to be in the low- to mid-single figures. Marco Petagna, a senior Met Office meteorologist, has issued a stark warning for the UK’s road users: “Most roads will be treated, there’s a chance on untreated roads that ice will still be an issue.”
A Met Office meteorologist has warned: “On Friday I think we will see further snow and ice warnings issued.”
A yellow weather warning has been issued for nearly all of England, parts of Scotland and Wales for three days, amid fears of widespread disruption. The Met Office is warning rural areas could become cut off due to heavy snowfall.
Schools could be forced to shut, while power cuts and travel chaos – with roads, rail and air travel hit – is possible. The alert runs from Saturday lunchtime to 9am on Monday and covers an vast swathe of the UK – everywhere apart from the South West.
A large chunk of the country – the Midlands, Wales and northern England – could see up to 5cm of the white stuff, while higher areas could be hit with 20-30cm. Today, Thursday, may seem mild but the Met Office says temperatures will feel much colder than the actual readings.
The chill is set to continue tomorrow, with a risk of overnight ice, even in the South West. Tom Morgan, from the Met Office, issued a stark warning, saying: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.”