Snow has been falling around Greater Manchester today and it is set to continue towards the weekend, with a yellow weather warning in place tomorrow and Friday (March 9 and 10).
According to the Met Office, 'blizzard conditions' are likely, with the forecasted heavy snow having the potential to cause disruption to travel. Weather experts also warned that some rural communities could become cut off, and power cuts may occur in the region.
The warning is in place between 7am to 2pm tomorrow (Thursday March 9) and Friday (March 10). In some of the more eastern boroughs of Greater Manchester - such as parts of Rochdale and Oldham - there is a more severe amber warning in place between 3pm tomorrow and 12 noon on Friday.
READ MORE : Flights suspended as parts of UK covered in snow ahead of Manchester weather warning
A Met Office spokesman said: "An area of low pressure will move across the UK on Thursday and Friday with snow developing across Wales and central England early on Thursday morning. This is expected to move slowly north during the day, becoming slow-moving across north Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland during the afternoon and evening before slowly clearing southeast on Friday.
"Snow will likely turn to sleet or rain at times at lower elevations, especially in the south of the warning area, as well as near eastern coasts. At low levels including major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle accumulations are expected to be limited with a small chance of 2-5 cm falling.
"However, significant snow accumulations are possible over hills of northern England (including populated areas of South and West Yorkshire), Northern Ireland and southern Scotland. Here, 10-15 cm is expected quite widely above 100 metres, with a chance that 25-40 cm could fall in some places".
"Additionally, there is potential for strong winds, which may lead to blizzard conditions and drifting of lying snow. Ice is likely to develop widely on Friday night as this system clears away."
The snow is set to start earliest in parts of Tameside, Rochdale, Bury, and Oldham tomorrow - with snow forecast to fall from 7am. Those boroughs will be followed by Bolton, Wigan and some of Salford at 8am. Eventually the snow will move to Stockport and northern parts of Manchester an hour later at 9am. There is no snow forecast in Trafford
The level three cold weather alert for the UK has also been extended by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The warning has been extended until 9am on Monday March 13. Previously the alert, covering all regions of England, was in place until midnight on Thursday March 9.
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