Warning: Yellow

To expect: Ice

Affected areas: Northern Ireland

Start time estimate: Sunday 7pm

End time estimate: Monday 9am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland until Monday morning.

A Yellow weather warning is in place on Sunday, starting from around 7pm and continuing until Monday 9am. The forecast indicates slick conditions due to icy build-up in the impacted regions.

The Yellow alert for ice was issued at 9:48am on Sunday, February 1.

A Met Office forecast said: “With wet surfaces following recent rain, and temperatures falling close to or below freezing, icy patches will be possible on untreated surfaces for a time on Sunday night into Monday morning. Cloud increasing from the east later in the night may allow temperatures to recover, but it will likely remain cold with an ongoing ice risk in western areas into the morning commute hours. A few freezing fog patches may pose an additional hazard.”

What to expect

Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

What should you do?

Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy:

• Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.

• If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery.

• Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.

Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

Be prepared for weather warnings to change: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.

For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.

What is a yellow weather warning?

The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.

A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.

An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.

A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.

The Yellow weather alert for ice will remain in place until 9am on Monday.