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UK weather live: Snow warning for London as UK braces for temperatures to plummet to -20C

The warning for snow comes amid continued weather disruption at airports and schools across the UK

Simon Calder
Travel Correspondent
,Jabed Ahmed
Tuesday 07 January 2025 15:54 GMT
Comments
Snowfall on A3 in Surrey as weather causes flight delays and motorway chaos

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A weather warning for snow has been issued for London as the UK is set to see temperatures plunge to as low as -20C this week.

The Met Office has said up to two inches of snow could fall in the south of England on Wednesday, including the capital.

Weather warnings for snow and ice are also in place in Northern Ireland and western and northern Scotland until noon on Wednesday.

The cold snap is set to continue until the end of this week, with amber health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency in place across England until midday on Sunday.

The bad weather has continued to cause travel chaos on Tuesday, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Aberdeen Airport both closed in the morning due to the snow.

And there are still hundreds of flood alerts and warnings across the country thanks to rain and melting snow. As of Tuesday lunchtime, the Environment Agency had one danger-to-life flood warning, 133 flood warnings and 217 flood alerts in place across England.

Manchester airport runways reopen after snow disruptions cause flight delays and diversions

For the third time in as many days, Manchester Airport was forced to temporarily close both runways due to heavy snowfall. Earlier today, the airport announced the closures on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the extreme weather necessitated the shutdown. While the runways have since reopened, the disruption is expected to cause lingering delays.

Overnight, several flights destined for Manchester were diverted, with at least 16 planes rerouted between 10pm and 1am. Affected flights landed at alternative airports, including Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Stansted, and Prestwick, as reported by real-time flight tracking service Flightradar24.

As of this morning, only one flight departing from Manchester has been canceled, though several others are experiencing delays.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 07:12

Around 200 flood warnings across England as environment minister issues reassurances

Across England, there are 203 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 300 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.

There is also a single severe flood warning, meaning danger to life, active in Leicestershire.

Commuters suffered travel misery on Monday, with major roads closed and railway lines blocked.

At a Lincolnshire primary school, parents were told to stay away until the end of the day, with fire brigade vehicles ready to carry children through the floodwaters.

A vehicles drives through standing flood water near Eckington in Worcestershire,
A vehicles drives through standing flood water near Eckington in Worcestershire, (David Davies/PA Wire)

Hundreds of schools were closed across the country, in areas including Lancashire, Yorkshire and north-east Scotland.

In the Commons, environment minister Emma Hardy told MPs flooding was “a personal priority” for her, adding that the Environment Agency was particularly concerned about Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

Warning of further “localised” flooding to come over the next 24 to 36 hours, she pledged to overhaul the government’s approach to funding flood defences “to ensure the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are taken into account when delivering flood protection”.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 07:11

What is the five day weather forecast?

This Evening and Tonight:

A cold and frosty night to come, with some further wintry showers, particularly in western and northern areas. A risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces, especially where any late wintry showers fall.

Tuesday:

Another cold day tomorrow, with a mix of sunshine and wintry showers. The showers heaviest and most frequent in the north. Windy for many, although easing in the south later.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Cold with a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers, these most frequent in the north and northwest. A spell of rain and snow in the south possible on Wednesday.

Holly Evans7 January 2025 07:00

About 40 flood warnings in Licolnshire alone

Lincolnshire Resilience Forum said 40 flood warnings and 29 flood alerts were in place across the county, with reports of 62 properties “internally flooded”. There are 203 flood warnings and one severe flood warning active across England as a whole.

“We are keeping a really close watch on this as it develops because we know that there might potentially be more flooding, particularly in areas which may be affected by tidal waters,” a statement from Lincolnshire Resilience Forum said.

Eckington Bridge in Worcestershire is surrounded by flood water after the River Avon burst its banks
Eckington Bridge in Worcestershire is surrounded by flood water after the River Avon burst its banks (PA Wire)

It also said emergency services were on standby at Greatford, near Stamford, to monitor the West Glen River, which it said threatened to inundate 49 properties in the area.

The Environment Agency has issued the only severe flood warning, meaning danger to life, for the River Soar covering caravan parks near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 06:43

Weather warnings in force as flooding risk persists

Weather warnings for snow and ice are in force across much of the UK after severe flooding and snow caused travel disruption and school closures.

A yellow snow and ice warning is in place across most of south-west England and Wales, coastal parts of North Wales and Merseyside and parts of north-west England and the West Midlands, until 10am.

A train in snowy conditions at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, North Yorkshire
A train in snowy conditions at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, North Yorkshire (PA Wire)

The same warning is in place for western and northern parts of Scotland until midday, and in Northern Ireland until 11am.

A critical incident has been declared by East Midlands Ambulance for the first time ever, with flooding partly responsible for the “level of escalation”.

A major incident was declared by authorities in Lincolnshire on Monday night, with a warning that more flooding could occur on Tuesday.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 06:03

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 the full article here from Becky Bowden:

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

Holly Evans7 January 2025 06:00

Pub owner rescues woman in Leicestershire

One woman was rescued from a car by a pub owner in Leicestershire who waded up to his chest in frigid floodwaters to pull her from the vehicle and carry her to safety.

Cimi Kazazi, the owner of the Italian Greyhound in Great Glen, had arrived at his business in the morning to find it partially under water, Luigi Salcini, the pub manager told the Associated Press.

The woman had tried to drive to her house when her car, covered with a dusting of snow from the night before, got stuck. Eventually the water rose up to the windows.

A vehicles drives through standing flood water near Eckington in Worcestershire, following snow and rain over the weekend
A vehicles drives through standing flood water near Eckington in Worcestershire, following snow and rain over the weekend (PA Wire)

“She started to drive but realised the car was deeper and she started going down with the water,” Mr Salcini said.

“She started to scream, ‘Help’ and we came out and Cimi went to rescue her.”

Nearly 60 people were rescued from swamped homes and vehicles, the Leicestershire fire service said on the X social media platform. Emergency workers were trying to pluck children from a school in Edenham, where they were safe but stranded, the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum posted on X.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 05:33

Dozens rescued as winter storm disrupts life across UK

Dozens of people were rescued from flooded homes and stranded cars yesterday as a wet and cold spell continued to disrupt life across the country, with more wintry weather expected.

Hundreds of schools were closed for the first day of classes of 2025, trains were halted and commuters experienced significant disruption as sections of motorways and major roads were closed from high water and snow that made driving hazardous.

Weather warnings remain in force across much of the UK on Monday with adverse conditions, including flooding from heavy rain and thawing snow
Weather warnings remain in force across much of the UK on Monday with adverse conditions, including flooding from heavy rain and thawing snow (PA Wire)

Much of the UK has been hit by strong winds and periods of precipitation that struck before New Year’s Day and snuffed out several fireworks displays and other celebrations. Several communities have faced significant flooding since the start of the year.

Several train lines were shut down or experiencing delays due to floodwaters or trees that had fallen on tracks.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 05:28

Forecasters warn ice and snow to disrupt Scottish roads

Wintry weather could cause further travel disruption in large parts of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday, forecasters have warned.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for northern and western Scotland, including the northern and western isles.

The forecasters said there is a likelihood of roads and railways being disrupted, and icy patches forming on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

This latest warning comes into effect at 4pm on Monday and expires at 12pm on Tuesday.

Holly Evans7 January 2025 05:00

Police say man who died in North Yorkshire river has been formally identified

The body of a man recovered from an area of flooding in North Yorkshire has been formally identified, police said.

Authorities have not yet released his name, saying that efforts to trace his next of kin are ongoing.

The man’s body was recovered from a flooded area near the River Aire on Monday. North Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicions of wrongdoing.

Namita Singh7 January 2025 04:32

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