UK weather live: Met Office extends snow and ice warning as Britons set for power cuts and travel chaos
Met Office warns of disruption across southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales
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Your support makes all the difference.The UK is bracing for another wave of snow and ice, with the Met Office issuing multiple warnings as temperatures plunged overnight, raising concerns over travel disruptions and power outages.
A yellow ice warning covering much of the east coast is in place until 12pm Wednesday, stretching down from Northumberland to Norwich.
The forecaster also extended a yellow snow and ice warning across northern Scotland between 10am Wednesday and 12pm Thursday.
Snow showers, some accompanied by lightning, began last night and are expected to carry on through the morning.
Snow may exceed 10cm over higher ground, with up to 20cm predicted in mountainous areas of Scotland by the end of the week.
“This will feel like the first taste of winter for many, with the snow and ice risks layered on top,” Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said.
On Tuesday, the cold weather led to closure of over 140 schools mid, north-east, and south-east Wales, affecting areas such as Wrexham, Powys, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Torfaen, and Blaenau Gwent.
Winter breakdowns up by more than a fifth in four years
The number of winter breakdowns recorded on motorways and major A roads in England has risen by 22% in four years, sparking concerns over gritters being blocked.
National Highways said it recorded 68,893 breakdowns on its network between November 2023 and January 2024.
There were 56,517 during the same period in 2019/20.
Over the past five winters, the most common reasons for breakdowns have been tyre issues (19% of incidents) and loss of power (8% of incidents).
National Highways warned that in snowy and icy conditions, lorries can struggle to drive up steep inclines and become stranded, resulting in road blockages which prevent gritters from spreading salt.
A survey of 2,000 adults in England commissioned by the Government-owned company suggested that many drivers embark on winter journeys without being fully prepared. It indicated only 34% travel with a supply of water, just 10% have emergency food and only 21% have a fully-charged mobile phone.
Bus topples in icy conditions
A Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire toppled onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions on Tuesday morning in the New Leeds area.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach North Scotland said: “We can confirm that one of our vehicles operating on service X67 has been involved in an incident at New Leeds this morning due to ice on the road.
“One passenger was on board, and there were no injuries.”
New weather warning issued in England
The Met Office has issued an update to its weather warnings.
The forecaster issued a fresh snow and ice warning for much of southern England and the Midlands between 5pm on Tuesday and 10am on Tuesday.
Full list of where snow is expected to fall
Here is a full list of all of the places snow is expected to fall in the next 36 hours:
Northern Ireland
- All counties
Wales
- Merthyr Tydfil County
- Blaenau Gwent
- Caerphilly
- Swansea
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Powys
- Torfaen
England
- Shropshire
- Herefordshire
- Lincolnshire
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- County Durham
- Tyne and Wear
- Northumberland
- Redcar & Cleveland
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North East Lincolnshire
Scotland
- Scottish Borders
- Fife
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland
Where are this week’s weather warnings?
Several warnings for snow and ice across the UK are in place for Tuesday and Wednesday, with the possibility of stranded vehicles and power cuts.
A yellow snow and ice warning is in place for much of south Wales between 12pm and 12 midnight on Tuesday.
A yellow ice warning was issued for much of southern England and the Midlands between 5pm on Tuesday and 10am on Wednesday.
A yellow snow and ice warning is also in place for much of the east coast between 6pm Tuesday and 10am Wednesday, stretching down from Northumberland to Norwich.
Northern Ireland is also braced for risky snow and ice conditions between 6pm Tuesday and 10am Wednesday.
The north of Scotland also has a snow and ice warning in place between 4pm on Tuesday and 10am Wednesday.
Boy, 16, missing on freezing remote Scottish island
A 16-year-old boy has vanished in freezing conditions on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, where helicopters and police are frantically searching for him.
Aleksandr Benga was last seen wearing a jumper and jeans at around 8.45am on Monday near the water wheel in the grounds of Lews Castle.
Stornoway coastguard helicopter, a local coastguard team, and RNLI’s Stornoway lifeboat are also involved in the search for him.
Police sergeant Liam Coleman said: “We are growing increasingly worried for the welfare of Aleksandr and would ask if anyone knows where he is to contact us.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 0803 of Monday, November 18, 2024.”
Why do schools close in the snow?
Schools are only allowed to close in “exceptional circumstances”, says the Department for Education - but it is the headteacher who makes the decision.
The head considers how safe the journey to school is, as well as the safety of the site itself. Staff often travel much further than pupils, and in all directions, so the area considered is larger than some parents might think.
Even if the snow seems safe in the morning, schools can close if conditions are forecast to get much worse.
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