UK weather map shows where snow could hit in next 24 hours

Snow continues to fall across large parts of Britain as temperature plunge

Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Thursday 19 January 2023 00:50 EST
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'Magical' moment little boy sees snow for the very first time

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Snow is continuing to fall across large parts of the country as subzero temperatures grip Britain in the latest cold snap.

Police urged the public to only travel “if absolutely essential” as heavy snowfall was reported across Scotland and parts of Wales.

At Loch Glascarnoch near Garve in the Highlands, 34cm of snow fell overnight, making this the highest recorded snowfall in the UK that night, the Met Office said.

Overnight wintry showers and ice also resulted in dangerous driving conditions in south-west England.

Showers of snow continue to fall across large swathes of the country this week
Showers of snow continue to fall across large swathes of the country this week (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There are currently two yellow warnings for snow and ice across parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A further yellow warning for ice begins at 5pm on Wednesday and will last until 10am on Thursday.

The lowest temperature recorded last night in the UK was -7.1C in Benson, Oxfordshire, with a whipping chill lasting well into the morning as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert until 9am on Friday.

Here are the areas in the UK that could see snowfall in the next 24 hours:

Areas and regions affected by Met Office weather warnings:

England

  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Cheshire East
  • Cheshire West and Chester
  • Cumbria
  • Derbyshire
  • Greater Manchester
  • Halton
  • Herefordshire
  • Lancashire
  • Merseyside
  • Staffordshire
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Shropshire
  • Telford and Wrekin
  • Warrington
  • Worcestershire
  • North Yorkshire
  • South Yorkshire
  • West Yorkshire

Northern Ireland

  • County Antrim
  • County Armagh
  • County Down
  • County Fermanagh
  • County Londonderry
  • County Tyrone

Wales

  • Blaenau Gwent
  • Caerphilly
  • Carmarthenshire
  • Ceredigion
  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire
  • Flintshire
  • Gwynedd
  • Isle of Anglesey
  • Merthyr Tydfil
  • Monmouthshire
  • Neath Port Talbot
  • Newport
  • Powys
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf
  • Swansea
  • Torfaen
  • Vale of Glamorgan
  • Wrexham

Scotland

  • Perth and Kinross
  • Stirling
  • Aberdeen
  • Aberdeenshire
  • Moray
  • Na h-Eileanan Siar
  • Highland
  • Orkney Islands
  • Shetland Islands
  • Argyll and Bute
  • East Ayrshire
  • South Ayrshire
  • South Lanarkshire

Motorists have been urged to take care on the roads and plan extra time for their journeys as sleet, snow and ice lead to difficult driving conditions.

It comes as a major incident was declared in Somerset on Tuesday morning after a double-decker bus overturned in a crash involving a motorcycle at around 6am.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “Cold air is continuing to push across the UK from the north and many areas have seen some snow, wintry conditions, and overnight frosts.

“National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued across parts of western England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland with more warnings likely to be issued over the coming days.”  

White blankets of snow look picturesque amid subzero temperatures
White blankets of snow look picturesque amid subzero temperatures (PA)
Drivers have been warned to leave extra time for their morning commute due to icy roads during rush hour
Drivers have been warned to leave extra time for their morning commute due to icy roads during rush hour (PA)

The rest of the week is predicted to be cold with patchy showers, particularly in northern areas, until temperatures rise at the weekend.

Met Office 5-day forecast

Today:

Cold or very cold for all, with further showers of rain, sleet, hail or snow, these mainly for areas exposed to the brisk northerly winds. Many inland areas are likely to be fine and sunny.

Tonight:

Wintry showers continuing around coasts of the north and east, bringing some snow and ice. Elsewhere, largely clear, with widespread frost.

Thursday:

Wintry showers gradually becoming confined to the far northeast; some more prolonged showers here later. Many other areas fine, dry and still cold.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Wintry showers Thursday, for northeast and possibly far southwest; mostly sunny elsewhere. Thereafter, staying cold but dry across central and southeastern areas with widespread frosts. Turning milder from the west.

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