Brits wake up to snow, ice, fog, and major travel disruptions
Snow has covered parts of Britain today as temperatures are set to plummet to as low as -10°C.
A yellow weather warning is in place for snow, ice and fog across England, Wales and Scotland until midday today.
Two more will kick in later today – one for the north of Scotland for 24 hours from 12pm and another for London and some of south-east England covering 6pm on Sunday to 9am on Monday.
There is also a small chance of rural communities becoming cut off – along with a possibility of power cuts and mobile phone coverage being affected.
The Met Office has urged people to prepare for the extreme conditions, which are already bringing major travel disruptions.
Manchester Airport was forced to temporarily shut its runways yesterday morning due to ‘heavy snow’.
Meanwhile, the RAC and North West Motorway Police both issued warnings about driving in the wintry conditions after several major traffic accidents.
The Met Office’s chief meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: ‘It is staying cold with daytime temperatures remaining only a few degrees above freezing over the coming days and overnight temperatures dropping to -10°C or lower in isolated spots.
‘Although below average, these temperatures are not that unusual for this time of year.
‘There is still a risk we could see some freezing fog in places particularly southern England, especially for Sunday and Monday mornings.
‘And there is also a small risk of a band of sleet or snow moving into the far Southeast on Sunday.
‘If this happens it could potentially bring some disruption, especially to rush hour on Monday.’
A Level 3 Cold Weather Alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering all of England, and is currently in place until Friday.
The agency is urging people to look out for friends and family who are vulnerable in the cold.
Dr Agostinho Sousa said: ‘Cold weather can have serious consequences for health, and older people and those with heart or lung conditions can be particularly at risk.
‘If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you.
‘In rooms you mostly use such as the living room or bedroom, try to heat them to at least 18°C if you can.
‘Keep your bedroom windows closed at night. Wearing several layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thicker layer.’
The weather will remain cold with some sunny spells until Thursday, though there will be wintry showers, mainly near northern coasts.
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