UK weather live: Met Office issues new snow and ice warning as commuters brace for travel disruption

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice along the east coast of Scotland and England from Berwickshire to Suffolk from 6pm. 18.00 Tuesday to noon Wednesday.

A yellow warning for snow and ice has also been issued for Northern Ireland from 18.00 yesterday until 10am this morning, with a separate warning in place for most of Wales and parts of the West Midlands until 10 Wednesday.

Meteorologist Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued wintry hazards are likely throughout most of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.”

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has issued the season’s first amber health alert for cold weather, warning conditions can be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow warnings in place for the south-east, south-west and London until 10am. 18.00 Saturday.

This comes amid widespread disruption across the UK yesterday, with more than 200 school closures reported by the afternoon.

Snowfall was also reported widely, with 12cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday morning as an arctic air mass affected Britain’s weather.

Thousands of train passengers were disrupted yesterday morning and a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire overturned on its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions.

The first cold weather payments of 2024 have been triggered as snow blankets neighborhoods across the UK and temperatures drop.

To help support people during cold spells like these, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) runs the Cold Weather Payment scheme for eligible households.

This is a one-off payment of £25 that is triggered for every seven-day period where the temperature in your area is at or below zero degrees.

An estimated 10,000 people across 18 postcode areas can now expect the payment in the coming weeks.

You are eligible for the payment if you receive Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Mortgage Support

You must also live in an area that has experienced seven days of zero or minus degrees. If you want to check if your postcode is in a qualifying area, the government has a handy tool.

Commuters are facing widespread travel disruption this morning after parts of the UK experienced heavy snow and ice.

The Met Office issued a yellow ice warning for large parts of southern England, the Midlands and east Wales from 6pm. 17.00 yesterday until 10.00 today.

Several other snow and ice warnings have been in place across the UK, with the Met Office advising that vehicles may be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas may be cut off.

The forecaster warned of snow showers that developed last night and will continue overnight into this morning. The showers can be heavy at times and accompanied by lightning in some areas.

Some lying snow may reach up to 10cm or more over higher ground and ice is expected to form on untreated surfaces.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon previously told the PA news agency: “We’ve had a relatively mild November so far.

“So it will feel like the first taste of winter for many with the risk of snow and ice added on top.”

He added: “The highest accumulations are likely to be over the mountains in Scotland, where over higher ground, around 20cm of snow could be seen accumulating on the ground this week.

“It’s not necessarily the most disruptive snowfall, but it only takes a few centimeters on lower ground to cause some degree of travel disruption.”

Meteorologist Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “With cold arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued wintry hazards are likely through most of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.

“The current focus for future snow and ice risk is from later Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, when snow showers are likely to move in off the windward coasts of the north and east, as well as drifting into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.

“Over 10cm of snow is possible over higher ground within the warning areas, with 1-2cm possibly settling at lower levels, which has the potential to lead to some travel disruption. Ice is an additional hazard and is likely to form quickly on untreated surfaces. “

To ensure that your travel plans go smoothly, it is important to plan your trip in advance, especially if you are traveling on routes you are not familiar with.

Here’s National Highways’ advice on what to do before you travel:

• Plan your route
• Check the availability of service areas along your route
• Make sure you know how to operate your headlights and fog lights
• Check your vehicle
• Pack a winter kit
• Check the weather forecast. If snow or ice is expected, consider postponing your trip until it clears.
• Check traffic conditions on our website and on Twitter

Temperatures will drop dramatically over the coming days and we need to be aware of how this cool weather can affect our pets.

The Met Office has issued several yellow weather warnings for snow and ice for parts of the UK this week so it is important to prepare our dogs, as well as ourselves, for this forecast.

From diet to grooming, here are some things to keep in mind to keep your four-legged friends safe and healthy this winter…

– Keep their paws well-groomed: Paws are very sensitive to temperature changes, so try to give them a little extra care and attention this winter.

– Be aware of winter hazards: Antifreeze is great for defrosting your car in a hurry, but be sure to keep it out of reach of your pets.

– Shovel the garden: If it snows this year, consider shoveling a patch of grass so your dog can go to the bathroom comfortably and not get too cold.

– Try to avoid overfeeding them: The winter months can lead to a reduction in the amount of activity your dog gets and can result in him piling on the pounds.

– Keep them active: Play fetch in the living room to keep your dog active if your dog doesn’t want to venture outside in the cold.

As the temperatures drop and the long nights begin to roll in, it’s easy to feel like it’s all doom and gloom. But, says Katherine May, there is great comfort to be found in winter – you just need to know how to get the most out of the season

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