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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Nadeem Badshah (now); Amy Sedghi, Daniel Lavelle and Hamish Mackay (earlier)

Parts of UK disrupted as snow and freezing rain arrive – live

United Kingdom Met Office England the Met Office
A person walking down a snowy path in Scotland, with snow-covered trees alongside
A walker enjoys the improved snowy and icy weather at Threipmuir in the Pentland Hills Park near Balerno Edinburgh on Thursday. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

A summary of today's developments

  • A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain. The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.

  • Two amber weather warnings have been put in place in England and Wales. One for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said. The second, an amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

  • Temperatures plummeted to -8.6C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire overnight, a Met Office spokesperson confirmed on Saturday. Chilly conditions were expected to continue for most of Saturday with most places ranging from 2-5C, with highs of 7C in south-west England.

  • The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.

  • Bristol Airport suspended its operations on Saturday evening for a few hours due to the weather before reopening at around 11pm.

  • The National Grid said there were a number of power cuts and it was working to restore power across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales on Saturday evening, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

  • The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday. Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as a series of orange and yellow weather warnings come into effect. Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week. They have warned that it will probably lead to disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues. Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.

  • A status yellow ice and snow warning is in place across Northern Ireland from 9pm on Saturday until 6pm on Saturday.

  • A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

  • There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

  • The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the BBC that “it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on” as he defended the government’s cut to winter fuel payments, which he said had been protected for the “poorest pensioners”. The director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance would be put “into sharp relief” by the cold snap and the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.

  • Councils have activated emergency measures, including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap. London mayor, Sadiq Khan, called on Londoners to look out for and help rough sleepers in the capital.

  • An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday. Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.

  • National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night. Drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.

  • Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

  • Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall and Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday.

  • Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”.

Updated

Footage shows a family walking on a moor being saved by emergency services near Greater Manchester after becoming lost in the dark.

The family are now safe and well, the National Police Air Service said.

Bristol Airport reopens but passengers warned about delays on Sunday

A Bristol Airport spokesperson said it has reopened but warned “there are still challenging weather conditions”.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers by tonight’s forced closure.

“There may be knock-on delays tomorrow [Sunday] as some aircraft are out of position. Passengers are advised to check their airline’s website or app for more information.”

On the roads, the A628 Woodhead Pass, which connects Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire through the Peak District, was closed in both directions between the A616 Hollingworth and the A57 Flouch, because of snow.

National Highways also said there had been a “number of collisions” on the M5 in both directions between J21 at Weston-super-Mare and J25 at Taunton.

Avon and Somerset Police are urging people to “only travel if necessary” due to “significant road disruption, particularly in parts of Somerset”.

No injuries have been reported so far.

Updated

According to the government website, the Environment Agency currently has 40 flood alerts in place across England, while Natural Resources Wales has activated another four in Wales.

Police in Wiltshire have warned people to stay off the roads and only travel if necessary as the snow continues to fall.

“The weather has turned very quickly and causing chaos all over the county, do not travel unless absolutely necessary!” the force’s special constabulary posted on X.

The A303 in Wiltshire was closed between the A338 Cholderton and A345 Amesbury in both directions due to heavy snowfall, National Highways said.

Paul Follows, leader of Waverley borough council and Godalming Town Council in Surrey, has posted this picture postcard image on X of the local town centre.

Updated

Megabus UK said its services will not serve Bristol Airport due to the weather.

Bristol Airport suspends flights due to weather conditions

Bristol Airport is suspending its operations due to the weather.

A spokesperson for the airport said their teams are “working hard on snow clearing but challenging weather means that flight operations have been suspended until later tonight”.

Some flights scheduled to arrive at the airport have been diverted and are heading to Birmingham, Cardiff and Belfast.

The airport said earlier that snowfall could result in delays to flights and advised customers to contact their airlines directly.

Updated

Power cuts across England and Wales

The National Grid said there were a number of power cuts where it was working to restore power across the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales on Saturday evening, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.

Updated

There is more of the same wintry weather in store for the UK on Sunday, the Met Office said.

Police rescued all of the occupants of six cars that were stuck on a mountain pass in the Lake District.

Officers covering the Eden district said they were sent from Penrith to assist colleagues from Kendal after six vehicles became stuck on the icy Wrynose mountain pass.

Eden Police wrote on Facebook on Saturday evening: “Eden NPT deployed from PENRITH to WRYNOSE PASS to assist Kendal officers in response to 6 vehicle stuck on ice, we safely conveyed the occupants down the pass. WRYNOSE PASS and HARDKNOTT PASS are now closed owing to the conditions, please drive safely as there is a current amber weather warning for snow and ice across CUMBRIA.”

Here is the Met Office’s latest radar showing a mixture of rain, sleet and snow moving into southern parts of England and Wales.

National Rail has reported a landslip in Gobowen, a village in Shropshire, therefore trains running between Shrewsbury and Chester may be cancelled or delayed by up to 10 minutes up to about 9pm.

The landslip is affecting routes between Cardiff Central and Llandudno Junction/Holyhead stations, and also between Shrewsbury and Wrexham General/Chester/Llandudno.

Updated

The Met Office’s amber warning for snow and ice is now in force, covering most of Wales as well as parts of the north-west, the Midlands and the south-west of England.

The warning is currently in place until midday on Sunday.

Updated

Further weather warnings have been issued for England and Scotland amid heavy snow and freezing rain that has been forecast this weekend.

A new yellow weather warning has been issued for rain, affecting Wales, north-west England, east Midlands and the west Midlands.

Meanwhile, another yellow warning was also issued on Saturday morning for eastern Scotland, including Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness. It is in place until early on Monday.

It comes as a Met Office spokesperson confirmed temperatures reached a low of -8.6C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire overnight on Saturday.

Weather warnings, including two amber warnings – the second most severe – had already been put in place for Wales, the Midlands and northern England for snow and ice.

The Met Office said stranded vehicles on the roads, delayed or cancelled rail and air travel and power cuts were all likely as the country grapples with a week-long spell of wintry conditions.

There is also a “good chance” that rural communities could be cut off due to the weather, with up to 30cm of snowfall expected in some areas.

The Met Office said the rain, sleet and snow will move northeastwards across much of the UK this evening.

Several vehicles were involved in a collision on a mountain pass covered in ice and snow in the Lake District earlier today, police said.

Cumbria Police said they received numerous calls about a “multiple vehicle collision” on Wrynose Pass, which runs between the Duddon Valley and Little Langdale, shortly after 1pm.

Updated

There are currently 20 flood alerts in England, where flooding is possible, according to the government website.

Updated

The government’s national emergency co-ordination group (NECG) met on Saturday to prepare for the severe weather forecast across the country.

Taoiseach Simon Harris was also briefed by the emergency director about their plans.

Emergency director Keith Leonard spoke to the Taoiseach and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien about the ongoing preparations.

Leonard said: “Driving conditions will be hazardous, even where roads are gritted – so I urge people to slow down, drive with caution, be aware of other road users and allow extra time for your journey.

“It’s important that drivers travelling longer journeys are aware of conditions right along their route, as the weather may vary significantly across different parts of the country.

“Footpaths can also be extremely hazardous and slippery due to ice so please take extra care while walking.

“Public transport may also be affected by this spell of wintry weather, so I’d advise people to check with service operators for the latest updates in their area.”

Summary of the day so far

It is approaching 4pm. Here are the key updates from today’s UK weather live blog:

  • A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain. The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.

  • Two amber weather warnings have been put in place in England and Wales: One for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said. The second, an amber warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

  • Temperatures plummeted to -8.6C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire overnight, a Met Office spokesperson confirmed on Saturday. Chilly conditions were expected to continue for most of Satuday with most places ranging from 2-5C, with highs of 7C in south-west England.

  • The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.

  • The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday. Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as a series of orange and yellow weather warnings come into effect. Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week. They have warned that it will probably lead to disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues. Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.

  • A status yellow ice and snow warning is in place across Northern Ireland from 9pm on Saturday until 6pm on Saturday.

  • A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

  • There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

  • The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the BBC that “it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on” as he defended the government’s cut to winter fuel payments, which he said had been protected for the “poorest pensioners”. The director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance would be put “into sharp relief” by the cold snap and the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.

  • Councils have activated emergency measures, including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap. London mayor, Sadiq Khan, called on Londoners to look out for and help rough sleepers in the capital.

  • An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday. The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday. Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.

  • National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night. Drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.

  • Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

  • Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall which was due to take place on Saturday, Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde which was also scheduled for Saturday, and Friday night’s Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday.

  • Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”. A race at Newcastle Racecourse was also cancelled due to the course being frozen.

Updated

In an update on X, the Met Office meteorologist, Greg Dewhurst, has shared an update on the “disruptive weekend to come” with the risk of heavy rain, snow and ice across many parts of the UK:

Many parts of the UK [are] seeing warnings throughout this weekend. Snow and ice covering large parts of England and Wales, also northern parts of Scotland as well.

As we head through Saturday and in to Sunday, we start to see significant snowfall across parts of England and Wales – perhaps up to 40cm over the higher ground [and] parts of northern England, the Pennines in particular.”

He said it was “worth keeping up to date with the forecast” as the information is likely to change through the weekend.

Updated

Rough sleepers offered emergency shelter as UK temperatures plummet

Rough sleepers across the UK have been offered emergency shelter amid freezing temperatures.

Councils have used the severe weather emergency protocol (Swep) to provide a bed for the night for rough sleepers as much of the country experiences a cold snap.

Each council has its own criteria for deploying Swep, but it is generally adopted when temperatures fall below 0C or an ice and snow weather warning is issued. Sweps have also been used during heatwaves to prevent heatstroke and dehydration.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said:

We know, as the temperature drops, things become even more difficult for those on the streets, and councils will be considering whether to activate their severe weather emergency protocol.”

The spokesperson added that the ministry had supported councils by providing an extra £10m in November – approximately £32,000 each.

“We are also providing £1bn funding for homelessness over the next year, including the largest ever investment in preventive services, to support councils to get more rough sleepers off the street and stop people sleeping rough in the first place,” the spokesperson said.

Updated

Amber weather warning for snow on the Isle of Man

An amber weather warning for snow has been put in place for the Isle of Man from 11pm on Saturday until 3am on Monday.

The Ronaldsway Met Office warns that rain, sleet and snow will arrive on Saturday night and overnight into Sunday:

Snow accumulation of 5-10cm widely expected above around 400ft by dawn on Sunday with 10-20cm above around 800ft. This accompanied by strong east or north-east winds that will lead to drifting of lying snow as well as a risk of blizzards.”

Overhead power line icing may be an additional hazard, it warns.

Loganair are offering Isle of Man customers the opportunity to adjust travel plans without charge “given the potential for travel disruption”, according to the Isle of Man airport website.

The BBC is reporting that the Mountain Road and Sloc Road are expected to be closed from 10pm and that routes above 500ft would be pre-salted on Saturday evening.

Updated

Snow is already beginning to fall in parts of Ireland, including Cork, reports the PA news agency.

A spokesperson for Dublin airport said its snow and ice teams are on stand-by to treat surfaces as required and to respond to any issues that arise.

“As always, passengers seeking updates regarding specific flights should contact their airline directly,” it said on social media. “Those travelling to Dublin Airport over the weekend should allow plenty of time for their journey.”

A number of sports events have been cancelled or postponed across the country, including the All-Ireland senior club championship, which was due to be held in Portlaoise.

Mayor calls on Londoners to help rough sleepers

Sadiq Khan has posted a message on X about emergency shelters across London as temperatures have dropped. The London mayor wrote:

Please share: temperatures have dropped – and in addition to regular services, emergency shelters are open across London so anyone sleeping rough has a warm and safe place to stay.

If you see someone sleeping rough who needs help – contact @StreetLink_”

Khan also shared information on what to do if you see someone sleeping rough, that read:

1. Search ‘Streetlink’

2. Share the location

3. Click submit

“Local services will then find the person and offer them a warm place to sleep.”

Updated

A spokesperson from the National Highways has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about road conditions and advice they would give motorists.

Stephen Basterfield told the BBC:

We really are as responsive as we can be in treating the roads and we are constantly checking road temperatures. The problem with heavy freezing rain and heavy snow is that it can wash away what we put down.”

He urged drivers to “give serious consideration to not traveling” and “when the severe alert is at its worst, to really try and keep off the roads, if possible”.

Horse racing at Sandown Park abandoned due to frozen ground

Horse racing at Sandown Park in Surrey was abandoned on Saturday, with the racecourse saying the weather meant there “would not be sufficient time for the ground to become raceable”.

The PA news agency reports that in a statement posted on social media, the racecourse added:

Following this morning’s inspection, sadly racing today has been abandoned due to frozen ground.”

A yellow warning for ice is in place for the north of Scotland from 4pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday while a yellow warning for snow in the Shetland Islands has been issued for Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

There is also a yellow warning for rain covering much of Wales and the West Midlands on Sunday from 6am to 9pm.

Simon Harris’s Instagram post continues:

We have activated the cold weather emergency plan for rough sleepers and also for those in international protection. I want to thank all of the agencies and the homeless organisations and others that are working closely with us in relation to that, trying to keep vulnerable people safe and well at this difficult time.

The energy sector has said that our energy supplies are good. So that is a good news. Both the ESB and Gas Networks Ireland confirming that as well.”

The taoiseach said the emergency team will provide an update later on Saturday.

“My ask of you is to take this weather event seriously, to expect treacherous travelling conditions, to follow any advice or guidance that is issued,” Harris said.

He added:

Be aware that while the snow, sleet event will be a 24-hour event, the actual weather event, in terms of the length of time it’s going to take to thaw, will run well into next week.

A number of people here are asking about schools, asking about colleges. Suppose a couple of things to say on that. Firstly, the emergency team will continue to meet every day, at least once a day, throughout this event, and will continue to monitor the situation.

It is likely that this weather event will affect different areas in very different ways, and therefore we’ll have to look at the situation at a local level. We’ll have to continue to monitor that and provide updates and guidance in the hours and the days ahead.

But I do want you to know that everything that can be done is being done to keep people safe, to protect people’s well being.

I really want to thank all of the people working this weekend in government departments, in local authorities, in various agencies, organisations and charities to really help keep people safe. That is a great thing about this country, that people roll up their sleeves and pull together.

Please also look out for perhaps older people in your community, people who might be vulnerable, people might need a few messages.

Be a good neighbour, as we always try to be in Ireland as well. I’ll certainly keep you up to date in the days ahead as well and in the hours ahead, but follow the advice. Listen closely to Met Éireann.

Listen closely to the emergency team, keep warm, keep safe and keep well.”

Taoiseach warns of 'very dangerous travelling conditions' in Ireland and urges 'extreme caution'

In a post on his Instagram account, taoiseach Simon Harris said:

I wanted to provide you with a quick update on the severe cold weather event that Ireland is experiencing at the moment and the significant snow and sleet event we’re likely to experience from this evening,

I’m just off a call with the directorate of emergency planning, and very shortly, there will be a meeting of the emergency planning team.

This is the team that brings together all the relevant government agencies, the local authorities, the different places that will be working to keep people safe and well during this cold spell.

As you know, Ireland is already experiencing a severe cold weather spell that is going to continue, and indeed, the cold weather is likely to continue right through the most of next week.

That does cause a real challenge because, whilst the snow and sleet event, which will start this evening and could run until about 7pm tomorrow evening, you’re going to have a situation where the thaw may not come for quite a number of days.

I suppose the first challenge is the snow events that will happen from this evening until roughly seven o’clock tomorrow evening and then the second challenge is to see how long it takes for the thaw and how we manage during that time when, of course, roads, pavements and the likes can remain dangerous and even treacherous.

First thing to say is, you are going to see quite a lot of snow and sleet in many parts of Ireland from around 5pm this evening until around 7pm tomorrow evening.

The big message today is that that is going to lead to very, very difficult travelling conditions in many parts of the country. The advice, the guidance, the request, is to not just think of what the weather is like in the destination that you’re setting out from, but actually think what it might be like in the destination that you’re travelling to. So please, please, please follow any advice that may issue in the coming hours.

Please proceed with extreme caution, because we are expecting very, very dangerous travelling conditions over the course of the next number of hours and potentially the next number of days.”

Irish government to hold emergency meeting as country braces for 'multi-hazard weather event'

The Irish government’s emergency planning team is holding a meeting as Ireland braces for a “multi-hazard weather event”, which is due to hit the country later on Saturday, reports the PA news agency.

Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over Ireland as temperatures continue to plummet. A series of weather warnings will come into effect, with status orange snow and ice warnings issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. These warnings will be in effect from 5pm on Saturday until 5pm on Sunday.

A separate rain and snow warning has been issued for Cork, Kerry and Waterford. This warning comes into effect at 5pm on Saturday and run for 24 hours. These counties are also under a status yellow rain warning, which runs from 1pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a status yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Connacht.

Met Éireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.

Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week.

They have warned that it will lead to very difficult travelling conditions, with disruption to public transport, air, rail and bus services, difficult conditions underfoot and animal welfare issues.

A status yellow ice and snow warning is in place across Northern Ireland from 9pm on Saturday until 6pm on Saturday.

The Met Office has said that spells of rain, sleet and snow will develop late on Saturday before clearing through on Sunday. Coastal areas will probably see rain, but inland and over higher ground, sleet and snow is more likely.

Around 1cm to 3cm of snow is possible away from coasts, with up to 10cm of snow possible over the Mournes, Sperrins and Antrim Hills. Ice will be an additional hazard, especially on untreated surfaces, the forecaster added.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.

Harris said the emergency planning team is meeting on Saturday, but did not confirm whether or not schools and colleges would remain shut on Monday.

Updated

Cold weather payments explained

What is the cold-weather payment?

The cold-weather payment is a government benefit provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) designed to go towards people’s energy bills in cold weather.

The average temperature in a specific area must be at freezing or below freezing for seven days in a row to trigger the payment. This also applies if the weather is forecasted to be zero degrees celsius or lower for seven consecutive days.

Payments of £25 are being made to people in England and Wales between November 1 and March 31.

Who is eligible?

You can only receive the help if you are in receipt of social welfare, which includes Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest.

There’s a two-week waiting period for each payment

Updated

Several sporting events have been postponed over the weekend. It remains to be seen if Manchester United and Liverpool’s clash in the English Premier League, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, will be cancelled on Sunday. However, other football games have been called off.

In League Two of the Football League, Cheltenham Town’s match with Walsall was postponed. Further down the football pyramid, games including Halifax Town vs AFC Fylde, Leamington vs Buxton, Needham Market vs Curzon, Scunthorpe vs Brackley Town and South Shields vs Hereford were postponed.

A race at Newcastle Racecourse has also been cancelled due to the course being frozen.

Here are some pictures from Richmond Park in London this morning:

Many areas across Ireland recorded temperatures of below freezing last night, reports Met Éireann.

The weather service’s Ballyhaise station in Cavan recorded a minimum temperature of -3.8C last night.

Met Éireann says Ireland can expect a cold and breezy night with lows of -1C to 3C.

Orange and yellow weather warnings issued in Ireland for snow, ice and rain

Ireland’s weather service, Met Éireann, have issued two orange and yellow weather warnings for snow and ice.

According to the weather service’s post on X, there is an orange warning for snow and ice in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. There is an orange status warning for rain and snow in Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

Met Éireann warns that the adverse weather coould result in hazardous travelling conditions, poor visibility and animal welfare issues.

Updated

What causes freezing rain?

Here is a snippet:

What causes freezing rain?

Rain often begins as snow, hail or sleet when the air is cold enough. As it falls, it may pass through warmer air, and melt into rain droplets before cascading off your umbrella.

Freezing rain occurs when the droplets instead pass through another layer of cold air before landing. The droplets become “supercooled”, meaning they are still falling in liquid form even though their temperature has fallen below freezing.

When these supercooled droplets hit surfaces on the ground that are also below zero, they spread a little before instantly glazing with ice whatever they have made contact with.

Updated

Freezing rain is due to fall over the weekend across the UK and is predicted to cause significant disruption.

My colleague, Daniel Lavelle, has written an explainer on what freezing rain is, what causes it and how rain is supercooled. You can read the full piece here:

Looking towards Saturday evening, Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick, says that the UK will continue to see outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow push their way northwards across the country. “This is when the amber warnings come into force across parts of England and Wales,” says Criswick. Snow is likely in these areas, not just over hills, but on lower levels too, she adds.

Criswick says that there is a chance of freezing rain across southern parts of Wales, and potentially, in some southern parts of England too. Widespread icy conditions are likely across these areas, she warns.

Widely, temperatures in towns and cities across the UK, on Saturday evening will be below 0C, says Criswick.

In a UK weather forecast video published on the Met Office website, meteorologist Honor Criswick says that the first weekend of 2025 is going to be “an unsettled one”. Strong winds, rain, snow and ice can be expected, she says, with multiple Met Office warnings in force, including two amber warnings.

An amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said.

The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Three separate yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in force for most areas of the UK, covering different periods of time until Monday afternoon.

Criswick added:

To start with on Saturday, there’s actually going to be plenty of bright sunshine around after a cold start. We could also see some frost and some ice to start on Saturday.

[There’ll be] a few showers just feeding into the north-west, particularly in northern parts of Scotland where they could fall as sleet and snow mainly across hills but also to lower levels too.

Then we do start to see a change as we head into Saturday evening. Heavy outbreaks of rain start to push into the south-west, also southern parts of Wales, and strong winds underneath these cloudier skies too. We may also start to see some sleet and snow just feed into higher ground across the south-west and southern parts of Wales.

[Saturday will be] a very cold day despite there being plenty of sunshine.”

Updated

Here are some images via the newswires:

Due to the Met Office yellow and amber weather warnings in place, National Rail have asked customers to check for any disruptions to their journey before travelling.

On its website, National Rail warn that poor weather is affecting ScotRail services until at least Monday 6 January. It also says that poor weather may affect Northern and TransPeninne Express services ove the weekend.

Here is a map from the Met Office showing where the amber weather warning for snow across northern England covers.

Further weather warnings could be issued for start of next week, says Met Office

Milder air will briefly cover some southern areas during the weekend before a new northerly flow allows colder conditions to return across the UK next week, the Met Office said.

Deputy chief forecaster, Dan Holley, said temperatures would remain below average with some areas struggling to get above freezing for several days. Further weather warnings could be issued for the start of next week.

Updated

National Highways warned a “spell of disruptive snow” would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night.

The PA news agency reports that drivers in high-altitude areas, especially the Cotswolds and Peak District, were warned to take particular care. Gwent police issued a warning for black ice on Friday.

Road users in northern England’s were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.

Updated

Temperatures plummeted to -8.6C in Aberdeenshire overnight

A Met Office spokesperson confirmed temperatures plummeted to a low of -8.6C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire overnight.

Chilly conditions were expected to continue for most of Saturday with temperatures ranging from 2-5C, with highs of 7C in south-west England.

The coldest temperature recorded in January last year was -14C, in Dalwhinnie in the Highlands.

Updated

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the BBC that “it is definitely a weekend to turn the heating on” as he defended the government’s cut to winter fuel payments, which he said had been protected for the “poorest pensioners”.

“This is a weekend to wrap up and keep warm, to take sensible precautions about going out and about,” he said.

The director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance would be put “into sharp relief” by the cold snap and the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.

“We urge older people to do everything they can to stay warm, even if that means risking spending more on their heating than they feel they can afford,” she said. “The energy companies are under an obligation to help if you are struggling and there may be support available from your local council too.”

Councils have activated emergency measures, including additional accommodation to help rough sleepers stay safe during the cold snap.

What is freezing rain?

Today, the UK is braced for freezing rain – but what is that?

The Met Office describes it as “a rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface, and freezes almost instantly”.

It adds:

The conditions needed for freezing rain are quite specific and we don’t see this phenomenon very often in the UK. It can produce striking effects, as the rain drop spreads out momentarily across the surface before it freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice.

However, it is not just these eye-catching scenes which the freezing rain can bring; the weight of the ice can sometimes be heavy enough to bring down trees and power lines, and the glaze of ice on the ground effectively turns roads and pathways into an ice rink. The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.

Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, for example in the USA, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain. These are called ice storms, and if enough glaze collects on trees or power lines, the weight of the ice can cause them to break and can result in disruption on a large scale.

Updated

Some football games have been called off, including Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall, which was due to take place on Saturday.

Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde, which was also set for Saturday, has been called off.

Friday night’s Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk did not take place.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s race meeting at Newcastle has been abandoned because the course is frozen.

For those needing to drive today, the Press Association has this advice on how to stay safe:

Don’t drive if you feel unsafe

Of course, if you really need to be somewhere then this isn’t an option, but if you’re unsure of your abilities or feel stressed by the prospect of driving in snowy weather then it’s always better to hang up the keys and stay put.

Don’t be tempted to drive with a half-cleared windscreen

This is extremely dangerous – you should wait for your windscreen to defrost entirely before you set off. Make sure that your side windows, rear screen and wing mirrors are all cleared before you leave, too. Plus, if you don’t clear your windscreen properly you could be fined for dangerous driving – risking a penalty of up to £2,500 in the most severe instances.

Don’t leave snow on the roof of your car when driving

If the area you live in has experienced a big delivery of snow, then it’s likely that a lot of it will have collected on the roof of your car too. While you might think that this would just breeze off in a flurry as you drive away, sub-zero temperatures can often see snow compact and freeze solid on a car’s roof, creating a potential hazard. A big slab of frozen snow could easily crack the windscreen of a car travelling behind you.

Don’t try to use your wipers to de-frost your car’s windscreen

When you get into your car on a frosty morning it might seem like a good idea to activate its windscreen wipers as a way to clear away the ice. However, during sub-zero temperatures, the wipers can quickly freeze solid, so switching them on will simply burn out the motors and could cause some expensive damage.

Instead, gently lift the wiper arms away from the screen to free them from the ice, or spray a small amount of de-icer onto them as a way of making sure they’re frost-free.

Avoid using boiling water to de-ice your screen

Pouring boiling water from the kettle onto your car’s frosty windscreen might seem like a good idea. The reality is quite the opposite, however, as doing so could cause your screen to crack as it changes from one extreme temperature to another. If your windscreen has any stone chips, then doing this could make them worse, too.

Here is the Met Office’s forecast for Saturday morning:

Here are a few pictures from around the UK on Friday:

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said some “significant accumulations” of snow are possible in parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, and the additional factor of strengthening winds could lead to drifting of lying snow.

He added:

There is a risk of freezing rain across parts of the Midlands and northern England, but especially Wales, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places.

As the super-cooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.

Opening summary

Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the UK’s freezing weather.

A cold weather health alert has been issued for all regions in England with large parts of the UK set to be hit by snow and freezing rain, after temperatures across the UK plunged as low as -8C (17.6F) on Friday.

The Met Office has warned that the freezing weather could cause delays to rail and air travel, power cuts and the cutting off of rural communities, with up to 30cm of snow forecast in some areas.

Temperatures of -10C were forecast in parts of rural Scotland on Friday night, according to the Met Office.

An amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday, the Met Office said.

The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

Three separate yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in force for most areas of the UK, covering different periods of time until Monday afternoon.

Here’s what else you need to know:

  • The cold weather health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), lasts until midday on Wednesday. It means it is expected temperatures inside places such as hospitals, care homes and clinics could drop below the recommended levels.

  • A baby boy was killed in a crash on Thursday night when a car hit a tree on the A1 near Grantham in Lincolnshire, and police are investigating whether the incident was linked to icy conditions on the carriageway. The baby, who was seven months old, was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead just after 5am, Lincolnshire police said.

  • The UK’s lowest temperature of the cold snap so far was recorded in Benson in Oxfordshire, where it was -8.1C on Friday morning, while temperatures dropped to -7.5C in Shap, Cumbria, and -6.7C at Bournemouth airport. In Scotland, the lowest recorded temperature was -6.4C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway.

  • Some football games have already been called off this weekend. They include Cheltenham’s clash with League Two leaders Walsall which was due to take place on Saturday, Halifax’s National League home game against Fylde which was also scheduled for Saturday, and Friday night’s Scottish Championship game between Airdrie and leaders Falkirk.

Updated

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