London is heading into its coldest spell of the year with a yellow snow and ice warning in place for the capital – as temperatures plunge across the UK.
The Met Office warning has been put in place across the capital and a large part of southern England and Wales from midnight on Tuesday until 9am on Thursday.
Roads and railways could be affected by “difficult travel conditions”, the Met Office warns.
Yellow snow warnings have also been issued across part of northern England and Scotland, where the Met Office warns temperatures could reach below as -10C, and 10cm of snow could fall.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 6, 2023
Snow and ice across much of Scotland and parts of NE England
Tuesday 0000 – Wednesday 1000
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/NrAUS3yC58
In the capital, the Met Office forecasts a maximum temperature of 4C on Tuesday and Wednesday with lows of 0C. Snow is forecast to fall on London early on Wednesday morning - raising the threat of a difficult rush-hour commute.
Londoners were warned of a “very cold start” to Wednesday when temperatures could feel more like -3C.
Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to bring periods of rain, sleet and snow, before turning milder with rain and stronger winds on Thursday and Friday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert and has placed north-east England, north-west England and Yorkshire under a level three alert, with the rest of England at level two.
Turning colder from the north through Monday as Arctic air arrives
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 5, 2023
Here is the #4cast ❄️ pic.twitter.com/ZNpLj5tavk
A level three alert means there is a 90 per cent chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk to vulnerable patients, the NHS said.
All areas are under alert between 1am on Monday and midnight on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice across Scotland and England’s north east coast as Arctic air moves over the country and down to northern England, possibly leading to the coldest temperatures of the year so far.
It said Tuesday night could be the coldest of the year so far with the mercury tipped to drop to minus 15C in some sheltered Scottish glens, especially where there is fresh snow cover.
The lowest temperature recorded in the UK so far this year is minus 10.4C, which was recorded at Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands in the early hours of January 19.
Turning colder this week, but will there be snow where you are?
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 5, 2023
Find out in the week ahead forecast 👇 pic.twitter.com/q66uSR2CNb
The wintry conditions could lead to up to 10cm of snow on higher ground in Scotland and 5cm at lower levels.
The Met Office warns the cold weather could disrupt travel, with “some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services”.
From midnight on Sunday, the yellow warnings of snow and ice spread to north-western England and north-eastern Scotland, and creep further down the east coast as far as Hull on Tuesday.
The yellow warning of snow and ice covers London and a wide band of southern England and Wales from midnight on Tuesday to 9am on Thursday, before remaining in place in parts of northern England on Friday.
Meteorologist Honor Criswick said: “We are expecting a few more snow shower outbreaks into this evening and seeing a bit more snowfall early on, which is why the warning was brought forward.
“We are expecting pretty cold conditions and snow showers over the next few days across Scotland and northern parts of England.
“Temperature wise, we could possibly see lows of minus 10C in the sheltered glens and higher ground across northern Scotland on Monday night, so it’s going to be feeling quite cold and the breeze is picking up a little bit so will be feeling rather chilly.
“Potentially we could see some of the coldest temperatures so far this year. The lowest we have seen was in January at minus 10.4C, so we could see something turn lower than that.
“We are expecting between 5cm and 10cm of snow across higher ground, so if we see more accumulations on lower ground of between 2cm and 5cm we could see some travel disruption on Monday into Tuesday.”
Areas affected by the warnings could experience power outages, delays to road, rail and air travel, icy surfaces and some rural communities may be cut off by the freezing conditions.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C if you can.”
