UK weather: Britain set to blast with two days of snow and ice

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Britain is set to be blasted with two days of snow and ice from today as the bizarre winter heat wave comes to an abrupt end.

The white stuff fell overnight in parts of northern England and Scotland on Tuesday – just days after the country saw its warmest New Years Day on record.

The houses in Durham were blanketed in the white stuff this morning as dog walkers waded through the snow in Northumberland first thing.

And the bone-chilling plunge has prompted fears of travel chaos as forecasters warn of dangerous conditions on the roads.

The traffic Scotland tweeted heavy snowfall affecting many routes in the North this morning including the A87, A82, A95, A9 and A90.

British Transport Police added: “If you’re commuting home from work in London to Bucks., or Herts., take care on the final leg of your journey.”

Yellow weather warnings are in place across northern Scotland, while further warnings span over Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, Carlisle and Newcastle.

In northern England, a warning of ice was in place until 11am today.

The forecasters said injuries from slips and falls would be possible while untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths would also lead to icy patches.

Meanwhile, strong winds, coupled with the snow, led to treacherous travelling conditions in northern Scotland. The Met Office warned of 60mph-70mph gusts, possibly stronger for a time, for Orkney and Caithness.

The gusty weather also affected a number of ferry services operating in Scotland on Tuesday.

A warning of snow and ice covering Inverness and Aberdeen is in place until 9am tomorrow.

And overnight temperatures from Wednesday into Thursday are expected to dip below freezing as the bitterly cold snap continues.

The Met Office spokesman Richard Miles said: It’s going to be colder than we have been used to over the last couple of days and Christmas. They are going into a period when temperatures will be dropping quite a bit.

In London, temperatures will plummet by 10C, from 16C at the weekend to just 6C today.

The meteorologist Simon Partridge said we’re facing a “shock to the system” as the chilly winds make it feel as cold as -2C. It will definitely be colder, so if you’re going out, think about an extra layer. You might need anything to keep the wind out because it’s not going to be pretty.

It’ll only get colder as this week goes on, with towns in the south facing -4C on Thursday morning.

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