Amber weather warnings issued as child dies in car crash after temperatures plummet to -7C

Up to 40cm snow to blanket parts of England amid warnings of snow drifts and freezing rain

Amber weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued across most of England and Wales, as temperatures plummeted to -7.4C and a baby boy was killed after a car lost control on the A1.

Up to 40cm of snow is forecast in parts of northern England this weekend, with the Met Office warning of the potential for the icy and windy conditions to bring snow drifts and freezing rain – leading to some treacherous conditions.

With two yellow weather warnings in force across swathes of Scotland and England on Friday, and snow falling widely north of the border as temperatures plummeted well below freezing overnight, three hillwalkers were rescued overnight in the Cairngorms.

People walk through snow in Balerno, Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

More than 20 mountain rescuers and a Coastguard helicopter were scrambled to aid with a nine-hour rescue operation after three walkers made a call for help at around 9:45pm near the summit of the Lairig Ghru mountain pass, which reaches a height of 835m above sea level. All have since been reported as safe.

It came after a car lost control on a dual carriageway and hit a tree, on the A1 near Grantham, with police investigating whether the crash shortly before 11pm was linked to the below-freezing conditions.

The car left the southbound carriageway around 500 yards from the Spittlegate junction, hit a tree and came to rest on the road.

A seven-month-old baby boy was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead just after 5am on Friday, Lincolnshire Police said. A woman also travelling in the same car suffered serious injuries, while two other passengers were not seriously injured.

Further north, homes were evacuated at 5:30am in the village of Toward and around 40 properties left without gas after a lorry hit a gas main near Dunoon, in Argyll and Bute, gas distributor SGN said. No injuries were reported.

Snow in Allenheads, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

All Stagecoach bus services were cancelled in Orkney after a bus left the road near the Brig O’ Waithe, according to the BBC, while the Far North railway line remained closed for 80 miles between Inverness and the Kyle of Lochalsh due to floods and landslips.

Two amber alerts – which are more severe than those issued on Friday – will be in force over the weekend, with forecasters warning of the risk of power cuts, travel disruption and communities being cut off in affected areas.

An amber warning for snow and freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said.

The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Two further yellow warnings for ice are also in force across nearly the whole of the UK.

Four weather warnings will be in force over the weekend (Met Office)

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly, said: “This weekend will bring a range of weather hazards to the UK, notable snow accumulations, freezing rain, ice and heavy rain as well as some gusty conditions.

“Some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40cm over parts of the Pennines.

“This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.”

National Highways advised those planning to travel over the weekend to check their vehicles, keep their distance on the roads and pack a “snow kit” of blankets, food, water and a shovel.

(Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures. Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until January 8, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, of the UKHSA, said: “The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, and it is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.

“These people could be more at risk of heart attacks, stroke and chest infections as a result of cold temperatures.”

Health secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast: “I know there are lots of concerns, not just amongst charity leaders, but also among NHS and social care leaders as well, about the particular risks and vulnerabilities this weekend as temperatures drop, both in terms of risk of accident and injury, but also risk from the cold itself.

“This is a weekend to wrap up and keep warm, to take sensible precautions about going out and about.”

Councils across London and southern England have activated emergency measures including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap.

Milder air will briefly cover some southern areas during the weekend before a new northerly flow allows colder conditions to return across the UK next week, the Met Office said.

Deputy chief forecaster Dan Holley said temperatures would remain below average with some areas struggling to get above freezing for several days.

Further weather warnings could be issued for the start of next week.