Britain is bracing for its coldest night of the year as temperatures are set to plummet to -16C on Thursday night, with multiple weather warnings in place across the country.
The Met Office has issued six yellow weather warnings for snow and ice, covering vast areas including southern England, the Midlands, parts of North Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The severe frost follows Monday’s winter low of -13.3C at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, which is expected to be surpassed in the coming days.
The UK Health Security Agency has imposed an amber cold health alert for England until Sunday, warning of “significant impacts across health and social care services.”
The Met Office has issued six yellow weather warnings for today
Met Office
A yellow weather warning for snow has been issued for southern England from 9am until midnight on Wednesday, with the Met Office warning of potentially “significant accumulations”.
Two to five centimetres of snow could accumulate widely, with up to 10cm possible over higher ground, particularly on east or northeast-facing slopes.
Coastal areas are more likely to see rain or sleet, though the Met Office noted the weather system might remain further south across the English Channel.
The agency warned that some rural communities, especially in upland areas, could become cut off, with possible power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage.
MORE WEATHER UPDATES FROM GB NEWS:
Temperatures are set to plunge to -16C
MET OFFICE
Travel delays on roads and cancellations to rail and air services are also possible.
Hundreds of schools across the UK have been forced to close, with more than 170 shuttered in Bradford alone and over a dozen in Lancashire.
Major airports including Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon have suspended flights due to the severe weather conditions.
The Environment Agency estimates that at least 300 properties across England have flooded since New Year’s Eve.
In Leicestershire, dozens of residents have been rescued by firefighters, with homeowners on Belton Road, Loughborough, stranded on their first floors after flooding from the nearby Grand Union canal.
Loch Glascarnoch has recorded Britain’s lowest temperature this winter
PA
Over 100 flood warnings remain in force across England, with one flood warning and six flood alerts issued in Wales.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Chris Almond said temperatures could reach their lowest point of winter on Thursday night, with -15C possible in locations with lying snow in Scotland or northern England.
A front arriving from the west early Friday could bring further sleet or snowfall to regions in the south and west, with a risk of ice as it moves north-eastwards.
By Sunday, milder conditions are expected across much of the UK.
“Northern Ireland and Western Scotland are most likely to see some showery outbreaks of rain and breezy conditions through Sunday, with conditions further south and east drier and more settled,” Almond said.
Post comments (0)