Amber warnings for snow and freezing rain in place for much of Wales and England while second snow warning affects most of northern EnglandHello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the freezing UK weather.Two amber weather warnings remain in place as the country grapples with travel disruption and power cuts after days of harsh winter weather.A yellow warning for snow and ice until midnight on Sunday has been issued for much of England and Wales not covered by the amber warnings and there was a yellow warning for snow and ice covering much of Northern Ireland until 6pm on Sunday and a warning for ice in the north of Scotland until 10am on Sunday. A yellow warning was also in place for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am until 9pm.A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain. The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airport both closed their runways on Sunday morning due to heavy snow. Manchester said its teams are working to clear them “as quickly as possible” but had been hampered by “heavy snow” around 7am.The National Grid said there were a number of power cuts and it was working to restore power across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales on Saturday evening, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday. Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as a series of orange and yellow weather warnings come into effect. Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week. They have warned that it will probably lead to disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues. Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday. Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night. Drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall and Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday.Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”. Continue reading…
Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2025/jan/05/uk-weather-warnings-remain-in-place-as-uk-hit-by-snow-and-freezing-rain-live-updates
Author : Daniel Lavelle
Publish date : 2025-01-05 08:08:00
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UK weather warnings remain in place as UK hit by snow and freezing rain – live updates
