UK weather live: Flights delayed and roads closed as snow hits country while Met Office issues new warning
Weather warnings in place across country over first weekend in 2025 as health alerts issued
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of Britons have been hit by travel chaos after heavy snow swept the UK in a cold snap over the first weekend of 2025.
Several major airports were forced to temporarily close their runways due to snowfall, leading to flight cancellations and delays.
Meanwhile, National Highways warned that up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could affect roads in northern England, with some key roads facing closures.
An amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England lifted at midday, but another amber snow alert is in place across most of northern England until the end of the day.
And yellow weather warnings are covering most of the UK today and tomorrow.
The Met Office issued a new yellow rain alert across southern England today, which will last until 9am on Monday, with milder temperatures bringing a risk of flooding.
UK Health Security Agency cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures.
What is freezing rain and why is it dangerous?
Will Liverpool vs Manchester United be postponed? Premier League fixture in doubt after snow hits UK
Snow mapped: Where freezing weather will hit UK this weekend with up to 40cm snowfall forecast
Can and should you walk your dogs in the snow and freezing temperatures?
Beamish Museum in Co Durham closed for the day
Beamish Museum, the "Living Museum of the North”, says it will stay closed on Sunday.
The statement said: “It’s with a heavy heart that, due to the snowy conditions, we are unable to open the museum today (Sunday, 5 January 2025).
“We’re saddened to have to make this decision but the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers must always come first, and due to the weather conditions it just wouldn’t be possible to open.
“For anyone with a booking for our pantomime performances today, we’ll be sending you an email with further information. Thank you everyone for your understanding.”
Comment: My elderly mother can’t afford heating – she needs the winter fuel allowance
After a damp and drizzly start to the year, the weather in the UK has taken a dramatic turn and we’ve firmly entered the first real cold snap of 2025 – which not only prompts concern for our own health and safety but also the wellbeing of our more vulnerable loved ones.
Even the most independent pensioners are finding the current conditions challenging.
My 73-year-old mother is no stranger to tough times; she found herself widowed after losing my dad to a gruelling battle with cancer and suffers from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis herself. She’s a powerhouse of strength and is fiercely stubborn, so it came as a shock when she recently told me how worried she was about heating her home this winter and her health fears during this severe cold snap.
Read more here:
My elderly mother can’t afford heating – she needs the winter fuel allowance
In its bid to plug the £22bn ‘black hole’ in public finances, the Labour government has let down vulnerable, elderly people like my mother, writes Becky Bowden. I urge them to rethink their stance on the winter fuel allowance
In pictures: Heavy snow blankets parts of UK
Chepstow, Plumpton and Naas all cleared for Sunday racing
National Hunt racing resumed on Sunday after fixtures at Chepstow, Plumpton and Naas were all given the go-ahead following morning inspections.
Racegoers were left without any jumps or afternoon action on Saturday after freezing temperatures claimed the meetings at Sandown and Wincanton. Newcastle’s jumps card had already been abandoned on Friday, while a frozen track at Cork meant no racing took place in Ireland either.
Officials at Plumpton announced a precautionary inspection for 8.30am ahead of the track’s BetGoodwin Sussex National meeting due to the forecast of heavy rain overnight – and while 25mm fell, racing was given the green light.
Chepstow opted to take another look after an initial precautionary check at 7.30am and, with temperatures rising, the seven-race card did pass a second inspection at 9am, while the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle is the feature event on a quality card at Naas.
A 7.30am inspection was called at the Irish track due to the threat of snow, but that failed to materialise.
Brendan Sheridan, clerk of the course for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “We had no snow overnight, we’ve had 11 millimetres of rain and the ground is now soft, soft to heavy in places.”
Chesterfield vs Gillingham and Fleetwood vs AFC Wimbledon postponed
The Sky Bet League Two fixtures between Chesterfield and Gillingham and Fleetwood and AFC Wimbledon were postponed on Sunday morning.
“Due to the fitness of the pitch and surrounding area due to heavy snowfall on the Fylde Coast during Saturday night into Sunday morning a call was made in consultation with the EFL and PGMOL,” Fleetwood said announcing the postponement of the fixture.
Liverpool-Man Utd clash subject to safety decision due to heavy snow
Liverpool say “every effort” is being made for their home game with Manchester United to take place on Sunday amid adverse weather conditions on Merseyside, with a decision expected just after midday.
Snow fell across Merseyside and the north west overnight and Liverpool City Council’s Safety Advisory Group met on Sunday morning to determine whether the Premier League match could go ahead due to access issues.
The group will reconvene at midday in the hope that weather conditions will ease and the fixture – one of the biggest in English football – will kick-off as scheduled at 4.30pm.
“A safety meeting was held this morning to assess the weather and travel conditions for today’s fixture against Manchester United at Anfield,” league leaders Liverpool posted on their official X account.
“At this stage the match is planned to go ahead as normal and every effort is being made to get the game on.
“A further safety meeting will take place again at midday to assess the latest conditions.
“We will update supporters just as soon as we can. Please take extra care out there, Reds.”
Leeds Bradford Airport becomes latest to close runway after snow
Leeds Bradford Airport said it had closed its runway this morning after disruption caused by heavy snowfall.
In a statement posted on its website, the airport said its team were “working hard to clear snow and minimise the impact on flight schedules”.
Passengers have also been advised to walk to the terminal with the long stay and car rental shuttle bus service temporarily postponed.
Some morning departures have been rescheduled to this afternoon, the airport said.
It said it is hoping to reopen the runway at midday, although this is subject to change. Either way passengers will be provided with a further update then.
The closure comes after several other major UK airports closed their runways over Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
Up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could hit roads in northern England, National Highways warns
Up to 25cm of snow as well as ice could hit roads in northern England, National Highways has warned.
Snow closed the A628 Woodhead Pass which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District overnight in both directions between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth.
The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while two of four lanes on the M1 northbound between J30 Worksop and J31 Sheffield in South Yorkshire were shut after a collision involving a HGV.
One lane of the northbound A3 in Hampshire was closed on Sunday morning due to flooding following overnight snow, National Highways said.
As well as snow, National Highways warned rain may initially fall on frozen ground and lead to ice, with areas of high ground, including the Cotswolds and Peak District, most at risk.
New yellow weather warning for rain issued for southern England today
A new yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for southern England on Sunday.
The Met Office said disruption was likely to bus and train services while spray and flooding on roads would delay car journeys.
The warning is in place from Cornwall across to Kent and will last until 9am on Monday.
Latest updates as snow threatens Liverpool vs Manchester United Premier League fixture
Liverpool are hoping to host Manchester United in the Premier League this afternoon with the league leaders looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, though heavy snow overnight has put the fixture in doubt.
A second safety meeting is scheduled for midday GMT to determine whether the clash can be staged at Anfield after an amber weather warning was issued for much of the north of England. A first meeting was held earlier after runways were closed at both Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport amid widespread travel disruption.
Should the fixture go ahead, Arne Slot’s side will be looking to further seize control of the title race. More dropped points for Arsenal yesterday only strengthens Liverpool’s position with a game still in hand on their rivals. Things are rather less buoyant at Old Trafford at the moment with the arrival of Ruben Amorim not transforming Manchester United’s fortunes. The visitors have won just two league matches since he took over in November, with recent losses to Wolves and Newcastle illustrating the scale of the job on the Portuguese’s hands.
Follow all the latest news from Anfield in The Independent’s sports team’s live blog below:
Liverpool vs Manchester United in doubt after snow - latest updates
Inclement weather has put the league leaders’ clash with their struggling rivals in doubt
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