Multiple snowfall warnings have been issued across the UK as a cold Arctic blast continues to hit the region, bringing widespread frost and snow. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across much of England, Wales and Scotland, in addition to warnings already active since the start of the year. According to UK media reports, temperatures could drop well below zero over the weekend and snowfall of up to 30 cm (1 ft) is possible.
In addition to snowfall warnings, the whole of England is under an amber health alert, meaning there is a risk of an increase in deaths and the NHS has urged people to avoid going out, especially in the morning when the frost is thickest.
Weather warnings issued till now:
- Starting from Saturday afternoon (January 4) until midnight, the yellow warning for snow and ice will be in place, covering the whole of England, apart from the south-west region and Wales.
- Another yellow warning for snowfall will be in place across much of Scotland from midnight on Sunday (5 January) until 12:00 GMT on Monday (6 January).
- A yellow warning is already in place for north-east Scotland, north-west England, western Wales and part of Northern Ireland until 10:00 GMT on Friday (January 3).
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Flooding in Greater Manchester
While warnings remain in place, a ‘major incident’ was declared in Greater Manchester on Wednesday (January 1) as flooding led to the evacuation of homes and the closure of train lines. The Met Office has issued warnings about dangerous driving conditions and urged citizens to plan routes, check for delays, road closures and delay journeys if possible.
Floods Minister Emma Hardie said she met with Environment Agency officials “to ensure that affected communities are receiving the support they need”.
“The Government is working quickly to accelerate the building of flood defences, through our new Flood Resilience Taskforce, so we can continue to protect people and their homes.”
According to Greater Manchester Police, Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan were the areas most affected by flooding.
