The UK is bracing for heavy snow, with as much as 13cm expected to drop in some areas – along with rare freezing rain and a steep drop in temperatures within hours.
A large build up of snow ranging from 5-12cm is expected to hit South Wales, while mid-Wales could see 10-13cm, according to new weather maps by WXCharts for the early hours of Sunday. Snow depths in England are anticipated to be less severe, with predictions of 1cm in Bristol, 5cm in Birmingham, and 2cm in both London and Manchester.
The Met Office has rolled out a raft of fresh weather alerts as Britain stands on the cusp of a harsh -10C Arctic onslaught, bringing with it over a foot of snow and the rare phenomenon of freezing rain.
An amber warning for snow and freezing rain is in force across Wales and central England
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An amber warning for snow and freezing rain is in force across most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said. The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.
Three separate yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are already in place for most areas of the UK, covering different periods of time from Friday to Monday afternoon. Yellow weather warnings have been flagged by the forecaster for regions including the Highlands, Eilean Siar, Strathclyde, Central Tayside, Fife, Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian, Scottish Borders and Grampian, reports the Express.
Concerns are mounting across much of the UK that certain rural communities may find themselves isolated during this intense cold snap, with alerts of potential travel disruption and power cuts as a blanket of snow measuring 1ft 4in (40cm) covers parts of the country.
Temperatures have also taken a nosedive to a freezing -8.6C overnight in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, according to the Met Office, with a frontal system approaching from the south west set to collide with colder air, resulting in widespread snowfall.
It comes after a meteorologist warned some parts of the country will face “significant disruption” this weekend.
Senior BBC meteorologist Nikki Berry said: “Saturday is set to be largely dry during daylight hours, but after dark an area of sleet and snow will push in from the south-west. There is a risk of some freezing rain [on Sunday morning], which could be extremely hazardous.
“Snow may continue into Lancashire on Sunday afternoon with as much as 15-20cm over high ground. Wintry conditions should ease on Sunday night but cold Arctic air will spread back south on Monday and stay in place for much of next week with some wintry showers and widespread overnight frosts.
“Significant disruption looks likely for parts of north-west England, hence amber warnings being issued.”