Ice warnings in parts of UK as cold snap approaches

BBC time and

Mallory Moench

Danny Lawson/Pa Wire A Person Walking Their Dog Through The Snow On The North York Moors. — Dog walker braves frost on North York Moors

Icy conditions will spread to more parts of the UK overnight, after snow and ice forced hundreds of schools to close and close roads on Thursday.

The Met Office has issued yellow ice warnings for areas across the country, including parts of north-east Scotland, west Wales, south-west England and along the east coast of England. Warnings already exist in some areas.

Thursday is expected to be the coldest night of the week, with temperatures falling widely below zero and as low as -12C (10.4F) in rural Scotland.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued cold health alerts for England until Saturday, saying there could be significant impacts on the elderly and people with health problems.

Some parts of the country had a blanket of snow on Thursday, with Altnaharra in northern Scotland and Loch Glascarnoch in western Scotland recording 9cm at 11:00 GMT.

A Map Shows Snow Totals Across The Uk On Thursday, With The Highest Amount In Scotland.

The yellow warnings for snow and ice currently in effect are:

Parts of Wales including Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd, Swansea and Pembrokeshire until 11:59 p.m.
Parts of north east England, south west Scotland and Yorkshire and the Humber until 11:59 p.m.

The Met Office said snow amounts will vary by area, with some places receiving little or no snow, while others could get between 2 and 5cm, and the highest ground in northern Scotland could receive between 15 and 25cm.

The yellow ice warnings currently in effect are:

Cornwall in south west England until 11am on Friday
Parts of the east, south-east of England, East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber until 11am on Friday
Parts of north east Scotland until 11am Friday

The yellow ice warnings that will go into effect later Thursday and last through Friday are:

Parts of North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber from 00:00 to 12:00 on Friday
Parts of West Wales from 00:00 to 11:00 on Friday

Danny Lawson/Pa Wire People Walking In The Snow On The North York Moors. — Walking on the North York Moors, which are under an amber warning for snow

Gusty winds with occasional blizzard conditions and potentially some lightning could come with the snow showers, posing additional dangers.

Around 40 schools in North Yorkshire closed on Thursday, while ten were also listed as closed in East Yorkshire.

Danny Lawson/Pa Wire A Snow Covered Car On The A169 Between Pickering And Whitby On The North York Moors — A snow covered car on the A169 between Pickering and Whitby on the North York Moors

In north-east Scotland, more than 100 schools were closed as heavy snowfall caused further disruption across the region.

Aberdeenshire Council said dozens of schools were unable to open and schools in Moray and the Highlands were also closed.

Major roads have been affected, including parts of the A90, which was closed for several hours.

Traffic Scotland has also reported that the A939 in Scotland has been closed at the snow gate at Tomintoul due to adverse weather conditions.

In Wales, National Grid said engineers were dealing with “a number of separate incidents” in the west of the country due to adverse weather conditions on Thursday afternoon.

Supply has since been restored to Newcastle Emlyn and Pontypridd, according to updates.

Forty schools were closed in Pembrokeshire, seven in Ceredigion and 14 in Carmarthenshire.

Ela McLoughlin, 14, was glad not to go to school in Crymych. Together with Helen McLoughlin, Conan Blake and their dog Madog, he walked to Foel Drygarn in the morning and saw people skiing.

Helen Mcloughlin, Ela Mcloughlin, 14, Conan Blake And Dog Madog, Dressed In Winter Clothes, Pose And Smile Outside A Snow-Covered House And Car.

In England, the UKHSA has issued amber cold health alerts until 8am on Saturday for the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, with all other areas under less severe yellow alerts.

The alerts warn health and social care services of significant impacts for the most vulnerable members of the community.

Alex Parker, from the Age UK charity in North Yorkshire, told the BBC he is “really concerned about the people we support” and their “ability to leave the house, be able to carry on with their daily lives and make sure they are safe and comfortable in their own homes”.

That includes staying warm at home, as well as accessing food, drinks and medications.

Parker encourages people to check on their elderly or vulnerable friends or neighbors.

In Beverly, David Jefferson, 79, told the BBC that he finds it “difficult to walk in the snow, especially when you get to my time of life.”

“The sooner it happens, the better.”