The UK faces severe winter weather as forecasters predict widespread snow accumulations up to 23 inches and temperatures plunging to -15C across the nation this week. The Met Office has issued four Yellow snow and ice warnings, with conditions expected to persist until mid-January.
Weather maps from Metdesk show a 240-mile "wall" of snow stretching from Swansea to Norwich, with up to 10.6 inches forecast for Friday, January 9. Scotland will experience the deepest accumulations, with nearly two feet of snow expected in parts of Yorkshire by Thursday, January 15, and up to 60cm in the Scottish Highlands.
The snow coverage by January 9 is projected to blanket almost the entire UK, with only small patches in Cornwall and southeast England potentially avoiding the wintry conditions. Northern England, including Northumberland, Cumbria and Durham, could see up to 5cm of snow by Tuesday, January 6, with central Scotland experiencing 1cm of snowfall per hour.
Extreme cold grips nation
Temperatures are forecast to drop dramatically, with lows of -15C in the North and -10C in the South. The Met Office recorded -12.6C as the coldest temperature of winter so far. Marco Petagna, a Met Office forecaster, said: «With snow lying, the -12.6C coldest temperature of winter so far is certainly one to watch in coming nights.»
Daytime highs will struggle to reach 1-4C until Friday, feeling like -4C to 0C with windchill. These conditions are forecast to be colder than temperatures in Hammerfest, Norway, located 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Travel chaos and school closures
The RAC expects up to 8,000 breakdown callouts on Monday alone, with 2,000 gritters, deicing trains and airport snowploughs on standby. Schools across the country have announced closures for Monday as the severe weather takes hold.
The heaviest accumulations are anticipated in the Lake District, Pennine Hills, Northern Wales, and the Yorkshire Dales national park, particularly around the Arkengarthdale region of North Yorkshire.
Health warnings issued
The UK Health Security Agency has issued warnings about serious health impacts from the extreme cold. Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: «As the colder weather sets in, it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.»
He warned: «The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.»
Extended forecast warns of ongoing disruption
The Met Office outlook for Wednesday to Friday states: «Staying cold with frontal systems pushing in from the west. A mixture of rain, sleet and snow will move across the country at times with a risk of strong winds.»
Looking ahead to Tuesday, January 6 through Saturday, January 17, the Met Office forecasts «significant snow accumulations in places, particularly on northern hills». The service warns that Atlantic frontal systems will bring rain preceded by snow, especially in central, northern and eastern areas, interspersed with drier periods bringing frost and wintry showers.
Nick Finnis, a Netweather forecaster, advised the public to «wrap up warm» as Atlantic weather systems move cold air over the UK throughout the week.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
