UK snow: wintry weather to bring more ice and gales

Wintry weather is expected to bring the UK snow, ice and gales over the next several days in the "first real cold blast" of the year, according to the Met Office.

Warnings of snow and ice are already in place for parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, North East and North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, the Midlands, and Wales.

"Accumulating snow may lead to travel disruption on routes over high ground, whilst icy stretches are also likely to form more generally on untreated surfaces," the Met Office told Sky News.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Over the weekend, snow fell as far south as Derbyshire and Huddersfield, with the mercury dipping to a low of -6.8C in Oxfordshire on Saturday, and the Met Office predicting lows of -8C today, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Snow, ice and strong winds caused severe travel disruption in parts of Scotland, with emergency services dealing with a number of road accidents, the BBC reports.

The wintry weather could soon reach the south of England, with even London in line for some snowfall, but it will most likely be sleet-like, say experts.

The plummeting temperatures are the result of a deep pressure system approaching from the Atlantic, drawing in cold air from the north-west. Clear overnight skies have led to cold, frosty nights.

A separate yellow weather warning is in place for Wednesday, as severe gales of between 60mph and 80mph are forecast to cause disruption in large parts of north Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.

"Winds of this strength have the potential to uproot trees and perhaps cause damage to buildings and with frequent heavy, wintry showers as well, driving conditions are likely to be very difficult," said the Met Office.