New UK weather warnings announced as cold snap continues

Freezing temperatures and snowfall continued in parts of Britain on Wednesday morning after weather warnings covered all four nations.

Yellow warnings for ice and snow were prompted by the first snowfall of the season, which caused more than 200 schools to close on Tuesday. New warnings were announced for parts of the UK going into Thursday and the weekend.

Icy conditions led to warnings that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts could occur and rural areas could be cut off.

National Rail advised passengers to check their journey before travelling.

Temperatures fell widely to between -1C (30.2F) and -4C (24.8F) across Britain on Wednesday morning, reaching as low as -7.8C for the Grampians, Scotland, and -7C in Shap, Cumbria.

Further heavy snow fell in northern Scotland overnight, while north Wales and the midlands also woke up to fresh snow on the ground.

Yellow weather warnings was in place for parts of all British nations early Wednesday, signals probable trip interruption and danger of slipping and falling on icy ground.

A new ice warning will come into effect at 4pm for most of Scotland as well as large parts of mid and north Wales, Northern Ireland, the West Midlands, northern England and Northern Ireland.

This lasts until 10 a.m. Thursday.

Parts of northern Scotland and its west coast are covered by snow and ice warnings until 12pm on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a yellow warning for snow will come into effect across much of south-west England at 05.00 on Thursday, and it lasts until 3 p.m.

Commuters were advised to plan ahead.

In North Wales, trains were suspended between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog until around 07:30 on Wednesday, with delays on the line until mid-morning.

Northern Ireland avoided the worst of the snow, but Translink warned of disruption to some services in the Magherafelt and Cookstown areas, including school routes, due to road conditions.

ScotRail said it was struggling to get hold of replacement transport due to the weather after a fallen tree caused disruption to some services in and out of Aberdeen – but tickets were valid on existing Stagecoach North services.

Trains were also suspended between Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane.

The RAC said it had seen a sharp increase in breakdowns, mainly due to people’s batteries failing in the cold.

Almost 100 schools and nurseries in Scotland, nearly 50 in Wales and at least 30 in England were closed on Wednesday morning due to freezing weather.

Temperatures in the coming days will be much lower than the mid-November average during the day – and are expected to drop below freezing at night.

They are expected to drop to -2C in London on Friday, -4C in Birmingham and -7C further north.

The average November temperature for London is 11C during the day and 5C at night.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for heavy snow followed by rain at the weekend covering large parts of Scotland, northern England and parts of the Midlands.

On Monday, Scotland had its coldest early winter night since 1998, with temperatures in Braemar in Aberdeenshire hitting a low of -11.2C.

Elsewhere in Aberdeenshire, a bus ended up on its side in icy road conditions in the New Leeds area. There were no injuries.

The RAC said Tuesday’s snow caused “some of the worst road conditions we’ve seen all year” and urged drivers to travel prepared for a breakdown.

“A blanket, a warm waterproof coat and gloves, sturdy footwear and a charging cable and mobile power bank are all needed,” spokeswoman Alice Simpson said.

Transport for Wales said 13% of its rail services had been disrupted by severe weather, while accidents were reported on snowy roads.

Meanwhile, an amber cold weather warning is in place across much of England – meaning there is an increased health risk for vulnerable people.

The alarm is set to last until 6pm on Saturday, with the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) warning that the weather could have an impact on the whole health service and urging people to check those who may be at risk.

As the weather gets colder, some people may be eligible for cold weather payments – a government benefit top-up to help with fuel bills during times of unusually cold weather.