UK weather – latest: Snow and ice warnings as Brits warned conditions ‘worse rather than better’

Saturday and Sunday slapped with fresh set of alerts for snow and ice

Cars stranded on motorway as M62 at standstill following heavy snow

Britain has been warned of more snow and ice this weekend after temperatures plummeted to -10C overnight.

Conditions are “actually going to get worse rather than better”, said Andrew Page-Dove of the National Highways, as there is risk of freezing rain on the roads after Storm Larisa.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice which cover large swathes of the country.

Met Office meteorologist Matthew Box said rain, sleet and snow will push northeast across the country during the weekend, likely falling on the hills and mountains of the Pennines, the Cumbrian vales and some parts of Scotland.

But added snowfall would be “nothing to the same extent as what we saw on Thursday”.

It comes after persistent snowfall caused “absolute carnage” on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway on Friday.

Storm Larisa brought with it “treacherous conditions”, with 50mph winds and up to 40cm of snow forecast in some areas.

Key Points

• Conditions to be ‘worse rather than better’
• Snow warnings extended to weekend as travel ‘chaos’ set to continue
• Motorists report delays of six hours on snow-covered M62
• Met Office shares update on when snow will clear
• Tens of thousands of homes without power as snow storms sweep across country
• Schools closed today as Storm Larisa set to bring 'treacherous conditions’

[9 March 2023 02:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Drivers told to go carefully as snow forecast across all counties in Ireland

Drivers have been urged to exercise caution and to expect disruption as snow and ice are expected across the country from Thursday.

Forecasters have issued a yellow snow warning for all counties, which comes into effect overnight.

Met Eireann said rain, sleet and snow will spread north across the country, with snow expected in many areas, along with icy conditions.

This could be up to 10cm deep in some places, with more possible on higher ground.

It is illegal to drive with a windscreen covered in snow and ice (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Archive)

Sleet and snow is likely to turn to rain in the south for a time on Thursday, posing a risk of hazardous driving conditions and poor visibility.

The yellow snow warning remains in effect nationwide until 11pm on Thursday, while a yellow low temperature warning is in place from 9pm Thursday until 10am on Friday.

A snow-ice warning for the Leinster counties, Cavan and Monaghan will be in place from 11pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday.

The Met Office has also warned that heavy snow has the potential to cause disruption in all counties in Northern Ireland on Thursday and Friday, with the warning in place from 7am on Thursday until 2pm on Friday.

It said this could lead to travel delays on roads “stranding some vehicles and passengers”, some rural communities being cut off and power supplies and mobile phone coverage being affected.

The Road Safety Authority has urged drivers to expect hazardous road conditions and reduced visibility.

Drivers are being advised to remove all snow from their cars, clear windows and mirrors before setting out, to use the car’s controls “delicately” in snowy conditions and ensure extra distance to the vehicle in front.

[9 March 2023 03:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Britain braced for five days of snow as map reveals coldest places in UK

A map reveals the overnight temperatures forecast for some cities and towns across the country as the UK braces for another cold snap and snow.

Aberdeen, Belfast, Newcastle, Manchester and Hull also look set to experience sub-zero conditions and the Met Office has issued weather warnings for snow and ice covering parts of England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.

(Source: Met Office (Independent))

[9 March 2023 03:20 · Namita Singh]

Drivers told to go carefully as snow forecast across all counties

Drivers have been urged to exercise caution and to expect disruption as snow and ice are expected across the country from Thursday.

Forecasters have issued a yellow snow warning for all counties, which comes into effect overnight.

Met Eireann said rain, sleet and snow will spread north across the country, with snow expected in many areas, along with icy conditions.

This could be up to 10cm deep in some places, with more possible on higher ground.

More in this report:

[9 March 2023 03:40 · Namita Singh]

UK braces for strong winds bringing blizzard conditions and travel disruption

The UK is set to experience severe snowstorms and travel disruption today, forecasters have warned.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for “strong winds bringing blizzard conditions” and up to 40cm of snow to the area stretching from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham.

Yesterday night was expected to be cold, with temperatures around minus 1C in south-east England, and as low as minus 13C in northern Scotland.

Report:

[9 March 2023 04:00 · Martha Mchardy]

In pictures: Snow across the UK

A man enjoying the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire. (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

Snow covered fields surround Alnwick Castle in Northumberland as weather warnings for snow and ice are issued (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

A man walks his dog through a snow covered field at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (PA)

A woman pulls a child on a sledge through the snow beside the beach huts at Blyth in Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

A snowy scene looking along the Long Walk towards Windsor Castle, Berkshire, as parts of the UK wake up to snow and a yellow weather warning (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Snow settles on Glastonbury Tor as parts of the UK wake up to snow and a yellow weather warning (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

[9 March 2023 04:20 · Namita Singh]

Yellow weather warnings in place for snow and ice across parts of Scotland

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across much of Scotland on today as temperatures fell below zero overnight.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place in the north of Scotland, where temperatures were as low as minus 4C in the early hours today.

A further yellow warning is in place for snow across the central belt, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders – with an additional warning for snow and ice in place for the south east of the country.

Read the details here:

[9 March 2023 04:40 · Namita Singh]

Amber snow warning as up to 40cm to fall during ‘blizzard conditions’

A Met Office amber warning has been issued for “significant disruption” from “strong winds bringing blizzard conditions” as parts of the UK could be covered in up to 40cm of snow.

The current Arctic blast, which saw temperatures drop to -15.4C at Kinbrace in Scotland in the early hours of Wednesday, will continue through the week with the Midlands and north of England facing heavy snow.

A number of National Severe Weather Warnings are in place across the UK as snow continues to cause disruption through the week.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley has more:

[9 March 2023 05:00 · Namita Singh]

Here are weather extremes from Wednesday

An area of rain, sleet and snow pushed north across much of England and Wales yesterday.

Further north, after the coldest night of the year so far, it was dry with long sunny spells and scattered snow showers.

[9 March 2023 05:20 · Namita Singh]

What Thursday will look like

Here’s the weather forecast for today:

[9 March 2023 05:40 · Namita Singh]

Where will it snow?

Snow storms with “blizzard conditions” are set to hit parts of the UK as temperatures plunge to -15C again overnight.

Yellow weather alerts for snow and ice are currently in place across large parts of the UK, with Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia among the areas being warned of snowfall on Wednesday evening.

One yellow alert, which warns snow showers and travel disruption are likely, covers northern parts of Scotland, where the Met Office says temperatures could drop to -15C overnight. The warning is in place from 6pm on Wednesday until 10am on Thursday.

More in this report: