Blizzard conditions are set to hit parts of north-east England as an amber weather warning for snow comes into force early Thursday morning. Hundreds of motorists have already become trapped on North York Moors roads, with police closing major routes including the A171 near Whitby and the A169 between Whitby and Pickering.
The Met Office's amber warning takes effect at 3am and runs until 9pm Thursday. Up to 25cm of snow could settle on high ground across the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds. Rural communities could become cut off as gusty winds create "occasional blizzard conditions", the forecaster warned.
North Yorkshire Police urged drivers to avoid the A171 near Whitby where numerous vehicles became stuck Wednesday evening. Officers said: "Lots of vehicles are getting stuck due to the weather conditions. If in any doubt, please don't travel if you don't need to."
Travel Chaos and Closures
Dozens of schools shut down across Scotland, with 20 closures in the Highland Council area, 19 in Aberdeenshire and three in Moray. Several villages were cut off by snowfall, leaving some households without power.
Five yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place across the UK on Thursday. Alerts cover the coast of north-east England, Cornwall, Devon and western Wales until 11:59pm. National Rail warned speed restrictions could result in cancellations and delays.
Shaun Jones, AA Expert Patrol, said: "When snow and ice hit, the roads can quickly become treacherous. Stopping distances can increase tenfold on icy surfaces, so slowing down and leaving plenty of space is absolutely vital."
Arctic Temperatures Expected
Cold Arctic air continues to grip the country with temperatures falling to -6C in some rural northern areas overnight Thursday. The Met Office warned the coldest temperatures could still be ahead, with potential lows of -12C in areas of lying snow in Scotland on Friday.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "Thursday will be a sunny day for most, but there will be further sleet and snow showers for coastal stretches which will filter a little inland too. Heavy across north-east England in particular. The highest snowfall totals from Wednesday night through Thursday will likely be across the Sperrins, North Yorkshire Moors, Northwest Highlands, Grampians and upland Pembrokeshire."
The UK Health Security Agency issued cold-health alerts for England until Saturday. Amber alerts cover the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber, with yellow alerts across other areas. Health officials warned of potential "significant" impacts on vulnerable populations and extra demands on health services.
Temperatures will begin to rise closer to averages this weekend when wetter and windier weather arrives. However, conditions will not be as "exceptionally mild" as earlier in November, the forecaster said.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
