Category: Environment

Earlier, there had been warnings for northern England and the Midlands, while snow also fell in areas not covered by the alerts, including central London….reports Asian Lite News

Large parts of the UK were blanketed with snow as the country got its “first taste of winter”, which brought school closures, train delays, difficult driving conditions and an appeal to check in on vulnerable people. 

Met Office yellow severe weather alerts for snow and ice were in place across northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, central and southern Wales, and eastern counties from the Scottish Borders to Norfolk, with forecasters warning of potential hazards through this week. 

Earlier, there had been warnings for northern England and the Midlands, while snow also fell in areas not covered by the alerts, including central London. 

The cause is an Arctic maritime air mass, meteorologists said, which means it will be extremely cold all week. 

More than 220 schools were closed across the UK, including about 140 in Wales. The University of Derby also closed its campuses in Chesterfield, Buxton and Leek because of the weather. 

There were delays and cancellations across the rail network causing disruption for thousands of passengers. 

By 1pm on Tuesday, 44 of 196 train services (56%) planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least 30 minutes, according to the trains.im punctuality and reliability website. Figures for other operators include LNER (57%), CrossCountry (19%), Transport for Wales (11%) and West Midlands Trains (15%). 

South Western Railway was running trains at a reduced speed on all lines on Tuesday because of conditions. Local authority gritters were out across the UK but a number of roads were deemed impassable and closed on Tuesday morning because of the conditions. 

In Scotland, two people were taken to hospital in Dundee after a multi-vehicle crash in Ballinluig, Perthshire, at about 8am. An investigation is under way and Police Scotland has asked people to avoid the area if possible. 

Darren Clark, the severe weather resilience manager for National Highways, urged drivers to keep their distance and reduce their speed. “Even in conditions that seem normal, and where the snow is not settling, it can be slippery if ice patches have formed, or where fresh grit has not been worked into the carriageway,” he said. 

“Drivers should plan their journeys, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel.” The Met Office said 12cm of lying snow was reported at Watnall, Nottinghamshire, while Scotland recorded its coldest early winter temperatures since 1998 with a reading of -11.2C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire. 

The Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said the cold Arctic air over the UK meant “continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week” with new warnings likely. 

“The current focus for upcoming snow and ice risk is from later on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, with snow showers likely moving in off windward coasts in the north and east, as well as drifting into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.” 

The Met Office had warned people that the “first taste of winter” was on its way, advising people to get their woolly jumpers ready. 

The warning came after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season this week. The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the south-east, south-west and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday. 

The charity Age UK warned that the conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including elderly people. The Age UK director, Caroline Abrahams, said the charity was worried that the loss of the winter fuel payment had caused many older people to be “extra fearful” about turning on their heating this winter. 

“With high energy bills and food prices it is understandable that some may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a serious impact on an older person’s health, especially if they are already trying to manage existing illnesses,” she said. 

Amid the difficulties and warnings there were, of course, snowball fights, sledging and the chance to enjoy the incredible beauty of a snowy day. 

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The unusually mild and dry weather conditions of November so far are set to be replaced by more typical patterns….reports Asian Lite News

It could be time to get out the woolly jumpers, the UK Met Office has warned, as an Arctic blast brings the threat of plummeting temperatures, sleet, snow and ice. 

The unusually mild and dry weather conditions of November so far are set to be replaced by more typical patterns. A yellow weather warning for northern Scotland kicks in at 4pm on Sunday, extending to southern Scotland and northern England on Monday evening into Tuesday. 

The Met Office posted on X on Saturday: “Woolly jumpers at the ready! Temperatures are set to drop next week with wintry weather on the way.” 

The Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said it could be “quite a chilly start to the day” for many on Sunday and plenty of showers were expected to hit, particularly across northern parts of Scotland in the afternoon. 

Sunday’s yellow weather warning from 4pm to 11am Monday is for northern Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland islands. It warns of wintry showers with hail, sleet and some snow leading to slippery surfaces and difficult travel conditions. Snowfalls of up to 10cm are possible on high ground by Monday morning. On lower ground, the snow could rise to between 1cm and 3cm. 

A second weather warning for southern Scotland, northern England, the East Midlands and north Wales is in place from 7pm on Monday until 10am on Tuesday. Forecasters predict rain, sleet and snow, with snowfall of up to 20cm on ground above 300 metres. 

The forecast adds: “There is a small chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5cm to 10cm would prove much more disruptive, but this remains very uncertain.” 

The wintry weather will mean there is a risk of power cuts, travel disruption and icy surfaces, as well as a “slight chance” that rural communities will be cut off. 

Drivers have been advised to allow more time for journeys and make sure they have the winter essentials in their cars: “Warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger.” 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued yellow cold weather alerts for large parts of England, stretching from Sunday evening to Monday. It covered the east and west Midlands upwards. 

The Met Office said temperatures overnight on Sunday into Monday were likely to be below zero in much of northern England and Scotland. Glaisyer said there could be “quite a hard frost likely on Monday morning, and this could lead to some icy stretches”. She urged travellers to “take care during Monday morning’s rush-hour”. 

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