Warning: Yellow
To expect: Snow and ice
Affected area: Multiple, listed below
Start time estimate: Tuesday 6pm
End time estimate: Wednesday 9am
The Met Office has announced a Yellow snow and ice alert for several regions across the UK until Wednesday morning.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snow flurries are set to impact the regions, beginning at around 6pm on Tuesday and dying out by 9am on Wednesday.
The Yellow warning for snow and ice was announced at 9:29am on Tuesday, February 3.
A Met Office forecast said: “Outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow will move north over mid and north Wales and northern England on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Snow accumulations, in the order of 1-3 cm will mainly occur above around 200 metres, though the odd cm is possible at lower elevations. There is also a chance of transient freezing rain over higher ground and though the odds of this occurring in any one location is small, but would increase the ice risk nonetheless. Sleet and snow will clear from the south through Wednesday morning.”
What to expect
Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services; 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?
Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous. Keep yourself and others safe by planning your route, giving yourself extra time for your journey. Check for road closures or delays to public transport and amend plans if necessary. If driving, make sure you have some essentials in your car in the event of any delays (e.g., warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger). 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 quickly: 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.
Full list of local areas affected
East Midlands
Derbyshire
North East England
Durham
North West England
Cheshire East, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire
Wales
Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys, Wrexham
West Midlands
Staffordshire
Yorkshire and Humber
North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
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 snow and ice will remain in place until 9am on Wednesday.