The Met Office has issued weather warnings across England and Wales, with London and the South East under a yellow alert for snow and ice from Saturday afternoon through to Monday morning. The warning comes as councils activate emergency measures to protect vulnerable residents during the expected cold snap.
A more severe amber warning has been issued for other parts of England and Wales, where persistent and heavy snow could bring significant disruption to transport and services. It only covers Berkshire and Oxfordshire in the South East.
For London, forecasters still predict challenging conditions. The yellow warning, in effect from 12pm Saturday until 9am Monday, still warns of potential travel disruption and hazardous conditions. According to BBC weather, London is due some spells of sleet and snow overnight on Saturday But Saturday’s snow turning to rain early hours Sunday.
Dan Stroud, meteorologist at the Met Office, said conditions should become warmer by the end of the weekend before cold weather strikes again early next week.
He said: “The second half of the weekend should be in the high singles or low doubles (for temperature figures). But temperatures will dive again next week, particularly on Monday and Tuesday. They should start to improve towards the latter end of the week. But there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge until then.”
Detailed London forecast:
Today (Friday): A cold but largely fine day with plenty of winter sunshine and a maximum temperature of 4°C. Early morning frost giving way to sunny skies, though an isolated shower cannot be ruled out. Another very cold night ahead with clear spells and widespread frost. Temperatures dropping to -4°C with the possibility of mist or shallow freezing fog patches forming.
Saturday: Following a frosty start, any early mist or fog will clear to give way to hazy sunshine. However, conditions will deteriorate later in the day as cloud thickens, with wintry precipitation expected after dark. Maximum temperature 5°C.
Sunday to Tuesday: Saturday’s wintry weather will transition to rain in the early hours of Sunday, with heavy rain at times and milder temperatures. Windy conditions will persist through Sunday. Monday will see early rain clearing to reveal sunny spells and colder temperatures, with the cold weather continuing into Tuesday.
Councils across London have activated emergency measures, including additional accommodation for rough sleepers. James Lally, services director at St Mungo’s said: “Access to a safe and warm place to live is vital for those experiencing homelessness all year round – and during freezing cold weather, emergency accommodation saves lives.” The charity’s frontline teams are working around the clock to bring as many people as possible into safety during the cold spell.
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