UK weather forecast: Wild winds wreak havoc on roads with yellow warnings for snow and ice to return today
BRITS are braced for more bone-chilling temperatures as wild winds battered the nation and caused chaos on the roads today.
The Met Office have also issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice as temperatures plummet once more after a week of blizzard chaos.
Parts of the UK are currently being battered by gales with gusts of 50mph expected in Cornwall and London.
Cornwall has seen a number of debris-related incidents this morning with the A39 blocked by a fallen tree between Wadebridge and Camelford for almost two hours.
The howling winds have also seen the Severn Bridge closed to traffic because of fears that vehicles could be blown over.
National Highways tweeted a short time ago “The M48 from J1 Aust to J2 Chepstow is closed in both directions due to high winds.
“We are closely monitoring the wind speeds and will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so. Diversion is via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.”
Near Gloucester, 159 homes were hit by power cuts and 88 families faced cold breakfasts as engineers battled the weather to start repairs and restore supplies.
The Met Office have issued a total of three severe weather warnings across the country, with as much as 10cm of the white stuff expected in parts.
The cold snap will will affect all of Scotland, parts of Wales and extends as far south in England as Birmingham.
A portion of Northern Ireland will also be impacted.
The first weather warning runs from 5am today until tomorrow morning.
And the forecaster warns that a combination of rain, sleet and snow followed by ice could spark transport chaos.
Commuters have been warned of treacherous journeys with an increased risk of injuries from falls on icy surfaces.
On Monday morning, northern areas can see the mercury dip to 3C which may gradually go down to 0C.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a new weather alert on Sunday, warning that the freezing conditions “could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services”.
The snowfall will drift south to cover the Midlands on Tuesday and Wednesday.
At the same time southern England will shiver in strong winds and freezing rain, with highs of just 4C to 7C expected.
The Met Office added: “A band of rain will gradually turn to snow from the north during Monday morning, initially above 200m, but later, to low-levels. 2-4 cm are possible above 200m and 5-10 cm above 300m.
“A few cms may develop locally at lower levels into the evening. Rain and snow should clear to the south of the area Monday evening, and with skies clearing, icy stretches will be possible on untreated surfaces.
“Occasional snow showers will follow into the north and west of Scotland during Monday evening and night giving a few cm of snow in places.”
It comes after a week of disruption caused by snow storm conditions across the country.
Heavy snowfall on Thursday night left drivers stranded for more than seven hours on the M62 in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.